Mario Balotelli’s career is in the balance after Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told the striker he has no future at Liverpool, Italy’s new manager Giampiero Ventura has said.
Balotelli, 25, returned to Liverpool after an unsuccessful loan spell at AC Milan but is far down the pecking order at the Premier League club, who also have Daniel Sturridge, Christian Benteke, Divock Origi and Danny Ings in their ranks.
Balotelli, who did not even make Italy’s provisional squad for the European Championship in France, has scored just once in 20 league games during his loan spell at the Serie A club.
More football news:
• Transfer talk: Liverpool's Divock Origi wanted by Atletico Madrid if pursuit of Diego Costa fails
• Gallery: Barcelona star Neymar and Brazil teammates take part in training ahead of Rio 2016
• Podcast: Batshuayi and Kante in, who else will join Antonio Conte's Chelsea revolution?
“In terms of his character, he could do much better. The fact he’s not playing at Milan, that Liverpool have abandoned him, means that he is at a crossroads,” Ventura, who was named as Antonio Conte’s replacement last month, told Italian media.
“The few times that Balotelli has really wanted to be a footballer, he has shown his quality. I have no prejudice, but his football must do the talking.”
Sampdoria president Massimo Ferrero urged Balotelli to join the club earlier this month, saying that the club would be the perfect place for the player to revive his flailing career.
Ventura, who will be in charge up to and including the 2018 World Cup in Russia, also criticised Italy international Graziano Pelle for joining China’s Shandong Luneng, saying the 31-year-old former Southampton player made a mistake by leaving England’s top flight.
“Players need to have a desire to win, going to a lesser league doesn’t help in that regard,” Ventura, 68, said.
“As for Pelle, apart from his missed penalty (in the Euro 2016 quarter-final defeat to Germany), he had a positive campaign. But China is far away. Let’s see why he moved.”
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
