Mario Balotelli could be staying in Italy after all with Liverpool poised to find a brand new way to offload the infamous flop in exchange for a talented Serie A playmaker.
According to the Express, Liverpool have offered Balotelli to Serie A giants Fiorentina as part of a deal for midfielder Josip Ilicic. Per the source, the deal would involve the 25-year-old striker joining the Serie A outfit on a loan spell with Liverpool subsidizing a larger portion of his wages. As for Ilicic, he would join Liverpool on a permanent deal.
Balotelli is eager to stay away form Liverpool after his ineffective 2014-15 campaign at Anfield, and stated as much in a recent interview.
Ilicic is coming off his most prolific season as a pro, scoring 13 league goals and 15 total goals this past season as the team finished 5th in Serie A and secured a spot in the Europa League qualifiers.
Balotelli, on the other hand, was far less effective as an attacker for AC Milan this past year. He scored just one goal and one assist in 20 appearances for the club, making just eight starts along the way.
Follow Jonathan Machlin on Twitter @jtmlovessports
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