Should West Ham move for potential freebie Mario Balotelli?

Add as preferred source on Google

Mario Balotelli will reportedly be allowed to leave Brescia on a free transfer in January.

The club’s president Massimo Cellino has apparently told the striker he can go, with the move having not worked out since his transfer in the summer.

The 29-year-old signed for his hometown club after stints at Nice and Marseille in the last few years.

Balotelli was recently dropped for a game against Roma due to poor form and before that he suffered racist abuse during a game against Hellas Verona.

Speaking to Le Iene (quoted by The Sun), Cellino said: “Mario is sad because he is unable to play his game.

“Fighting for survival in Serie A requires a huge sacrifice and perhaps he thought it would be much more simple.

“In January, he can leave on a free. In this moment, he needs to choose which road is best for him. He needs to convince himself.

“I don’t want him to leave. If he leaves, we have both lost the bet.”

TBR’s view – Should West Ham swoop?

Perhaps West Ham officials should consider taking a gamble on Balotelli given the lack of support and competition for club-record signing Sebastien Haller.

The maverick forward appears to need a new environment and he could perhaps work well with a man he narrowly missed out working with at Manchester City in Manuel Pellegrini.

Perhaps he’ll feel there is some unfinished business with the Premier League after a poor spell at Liverpool, and the London Stadium could be a fresh start for him.