Zamparini: Balotelli wants to join Palermo

The forward is no longer required at Anfield and has been linked with loan spells at numerous clubs, including OGC Nice, Chievo, Sassuolo and Bologna.

“I called (agent Mino) Raiola and he passed the phone over to Balotelli,” Zamparini told the Corriere dello Sport.

“Mario immediately confessed he’d be happy to come to Palermo. We did discuss the economic situation and I explained we could not afford wages above a certain level.

“This would be an opportunity for him, but he’d need to make a sacrifice to relaunch his career on the international market, at his level.

“We are interested, so we need Raiola to understand that Balotelli must reboot. He needs a club like Palermo, which of course is also where he was born: it’d be an immense advantage in the long run.

“We are very happy to keep him for a year and get him back to being the world class striker he once was.”

It’s reported Palermo are only prepared to offer €700,000 wages for this season, so either Balotelli accepts a huge pay cut or Liverpool will be forced to pay most of the salary during this loan spell.

It appears agent Raiola is holding up the move, as he sees more lucrative loans in England for Everton, Crystal Palace or West Bromwich Albion.

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