Liverpool also
Liverpool are planning a lucrative contract offer for Inter Milan starlet Mario Balotelli.
Corriere dello Sport says Liverpool are aware that Inter are struggling to secure the 17 year-old striker to a new deal.
Inter are offering Balotelli £350,000-a-year to re-sign and Liverpool are ready to make a superior bid to bring the youngster to Anfield in the summer.
Chelsea have also made enquiries after the teenager in recent weeks. (tf)
Chelsea want Balotelli
Chelsea striker Drogba has been strongly linked with a transfer away from Stamford Bridge for several months now, and he is widely expected to move on to pastures new in the summer.
Inter are believed to be extremely interested in signing the Ivorian, particularly if his former boss at Chelsea, Jose Mourinho, takes over the reigns at San Siro from Roberto Mancini.
According to Tuttosport Chelsea are prepared to sell the 30-year-old to the Nerazzuri, but only if wonderkid Mario Balotelli is included in an exchange deal.
Balotelli is widely regarded as one of Italy’s most promising young talents, and the 17-year-old has burst onto the scene this season, recently scoring in consecutive games in Serie A against Atalanta and Fiorentina.
Two Chelsea scouts travelled to Italy several weeks ago to watch him in action for Inter’s youth team, and were left very impressed.
Inter are unlikely to consider releasing Balotelli, however this viewpoint could change if he refuses a new contract offer until 2013. Balotelli’s life story is a very interesting one.
He was born in Palermo to Ghanaian immigrants, but at the age of just three a court ruling entrusted him to the Balotelli family who lived in Brescia. (tmw)
Italian Super Mario
nter’s Mario Balotelli represented the Italian Under-21 team in today’s press conference ahead of Friday’s European Championship qualifier against Greece.
“I’m Italian, I feel Italian, and I will always play for the Italian national team,” said the 18-year-old striker. “I have never considered the possibility of playing for Ghana, not even two years ago when they called me up.”
On his possible debut at international level, Balotelli said: “I’m here and I’m ready. I will do my best for the team if I’m in the starting eleven, and I will support them from the bench if I’m left out.”
Mario Balotelli called by Italy
Inter’s teenage star Mario Balotelli has received his first Italian call-up as he is included in Pierluigi Casiraghi’s Under-21 squad.
Balotelli officially became an Italian citizen on August 12 when he turned 18 and he had hoped to be called up for the Azzurri’s friendly against Austria.
But the former Lumezzane marksman has had to settle for selection in Casiraghi’s squad to face Greece and Croatia in European Championship qualifiers.
Casiraghi is trying to get back on track after the disappointment of the Olympic Games where Italy were knocked out by Belgium in the quarter-finals.
The other new faces in the Azzurrini squad are Roma centre-back Marco Andreolli and young Fiorentina goalkeeper Andrea Seculin.
The group will meet at the Hilton Hotel near Rome’s Fiumicino Airport on Tuesday September 2 before travelling to their camp in Castel Di Sangro.
They face Greece on September 5 there before travelling to Croatia on September 9. (c4)
Balotelli: "Mou is the best!"
Inter Milan starlet Mario Balotelli is enjoying working for new coach Jose Mourinho.
“He’s different from all other coaches, he cares very much about personal relationships with players, this is very beautiful. You can approach him and talk about anything, not necessarily football,” said the teenage striker. boarding gate dvd download
Balotelli also revealed how he’s learning from senior strikers Julio Cruz and Hernan Crespo.
“Julio Cruz pulled me aside last season and told me to study both his and Crespo’s movement,” said Balotelli. “It’s a weakness of my game and even today I watch and learn from them.” (tf)
