The Daily Mail reported that Italian striker Mario Balotelli was on the verge on joining English club Arsenal. Having only spent a year and half with the Rossoneri, the troubled striker wants out. After Arsenal was offered the striker for a cut price, talks have been put on hold as Balotelli has asked a staggering £5m after tax salary. That is sure to put off Arsenal from signing the erratic striker.
There are a lot of reasons that should put Arsenal off from signing the Italian, one of his main problems being his discipline. He has to be one of the most, if not the most, in-disciplined player of this generation. He has been involved in controversies both on and off the pitch, which saw him being forced out of Manchester City by Roberto Mancini. It is also believed that he was one of the reasons Mancini got the axe from Manchester City. His attitude towards the game is very poor. His body language is of a guy who thinks he is bigger than the club and the game. Such a player won’t be good for the harmony of any team.
His consistency has been his greatest downfall. The lazy Italian doesn’t try to improve his game. In 8 seasons in the top level, he has never scored more than 18 in a season. And considering he is going to be replacing Olivier Giroud, there is nothing that proves that the Italian is better than that Frenchmen.
His asking salary is outrageous too. For someone who is as inconsistent and in-disciplined as the Italian, it would be a bad move if one was willing to play him nearly £200,000 a week. He is a ticking time bomb. Yes he is talented but, there is enormous baggage that comes along with him.
In attempt to get rid of the Italian, AC Milan has almost halved his asking price. Silvio Berlusconi claimed that, due to the strikers poor performance at the World Cup, said he lost almost £28m in transfer money. There were reports on how Berlusconi told Gazzetta dello sport, that he had a deal in place for Balotelli, only for it to collapse because of the striker’s poor performance at the World Cup. There have also been several reports on how many people inside the club no longer wanting to put up with his shenanigans. And judging by Berlusconi’s statements, he looks to be one of them. Filippo Inzhagi isn’t fond of the trouble maker too.
Balotelli does scores good goals and plays some good games once in a while, but then he vanishes for the next four to five games. He has never lived up to this hype on the field, and let us not even go to his off the field antics. He is a manager’s nightmare. And that is one of the reason Arsenal should not sign the striker.
Arsenal does need a top class striker, but Balotelli isn’t the answer. AC Milan and Berlusconi are laying a trap to get rid of him. And if Wenger is smart, he will not fall for it.
