Soccer

Liverpool’s Mario Balotelli on brink of moving back to Milan

Italian striker to draw line under unhappy spell at Anfield by agreeing loan deal

Mario Balotelli scored one Premier League goal for Liverpool last season. Photograph: Peter Powell/EPA
Mario Balotelli scored one Premier League goal for Liverpool last season. Photograph: Peter Powell/EPA
Ed Aarons
Mon Aug 24 2015 - 23:00

Mario Balotelli's unhappy spell at Liverpool is coming to an end with the Italy striker set to rejoin Milan on a season-long loan.

The 25-year-old has been frozen out of Brendan Rodgers’s plans this season and forced to train away from the first-team squad along with Fabio Borini and José Enrique after a disappointing first season at Anfield .

Balotelli, who joined from Milan in a £16 million transfer last August, is due a six-figure “loyalty bonus” from Liverpool should he remain at the club after the summer transfer window but he has agreed terms with the Italian club over a loan deal. He is set for a medical at the club’s Milanello training ground today.

It is understood that there is no loan fee and that Milan will pay half of his £80,000 a week wages, with Liverpool picking up the remainder.

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Balotelli made 16 Premier League appearances for Liverpool last season, scoring just once, against Tottenham in February.

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has insisted he has no plans to leave the Spanish club.

All those clowns

The France forward has been persistently linked with Arsenal, but took to Twitter to say he was going nowhere. “For all those clowns who want to make believe things at my fans. Here this is my home!” Benzema wrote.

Real earlier pointedly mentioned Benzema in an update from squad training in a bid to quell rumours of a switch. The Spanish giants began their league campaign with a goalless draw at Sporting Gijón on Sunday.

West Brom have rejected a written transfer request from Saido Berahino, and have reiterated their stance that they have no interest in selling the forward. Berahino was left out of West Brom’s squad for the 3-2 home defeat to Chelsea on Sunday with Tony Pulis, the Albion manager, deciding the player was not in the right frame of mind to feature following interest from numerous clubs.

Pulis stated that “15 teams” wanted to sign the 22-year-old. Tottenham had an £18 million (€24 million) bid for him rejected last week but are expected to return with an increased offer this week. Other clubs have also shown an interest. Guardian Service