Controversial
striker Mario Balotelli has reported for the start of pre-season training with
Liverpool.
This could be
a make-or-break season for the troubled, 25-year-old Italian. He spent last
season on loan at AC Milan but is now back with Liverpool and trained yesterday
at the club’s Melwood base.
The former
Manchester City man failed to make Italy’s squad for Euro 2016 and earlier this
week he admitted that he has under-achieved in the last couple of seasons.
He said: ‘I have not done enough in recent years. I can do much better but it takes time.
‘On a scale of
one to 10, I have only reached five. But I will get to 10 eventually because
that is my goal.
‘I want to win
the Ballon d’Or, although I realise I got stuck at five out of 10 in the last
two years when my goal was to get closer to 10.
‘I know people
will laugh when I say I want the Ballon d’Or. I have not done everything needed
to become the best. But the most important thing is that I have realised my
mistakes and it is not too late yet.
‘I don’t want
to reach the end of my career thinking that I have not done everything to
become the best.’
Alongside him
at training were Mamadou Sakho, Lazar Markovic and Luis Alberto plus other
players not away on international duty. Sergi Canos also reported to Melwood.
Coach Andreas
Kornmayer led the session, which focused primarily on testing.
Meanwhile,
Liverpool’s quest to sign Piotr Zelinski has hit a serious hitch after Udinese
rejected their £9.2million bid for the Poland international.
Jurgen Klopp
has been tracking Zelinski, who was part of the Poland squad that reached the
quarter-final at Euro 2016, since January.
He is
determined to recruit the 22-year-old midfielder during the summer window but
Napoli are rival bidders and Udinese have accepted their identical bid.
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