Liverpool seal Balotelli deal
Transfer was confirmed just hours before his new club faced Manchester City
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-08-26 03:02 GMT
London: Liverpool completed their signing of AC Milan’s Italy striker Mario Balotelli on Monday. Balotelli, 24, emerged as a target for Reds manager Brendan Rodgers last week and Liverpool had been locked in talks with the former Manchester City star’s agent since agreeing a reported 16 million fee with Milan.
Those negotiations reached a successful conclusion on Monday and Balotelli’s move was confirmed just hours before his new club face his old employers City in a Premier League clash at Eastlands.
Balotelli is not eligible to feature against City, but he could travel to Manchester to watch the match. In a club statement on Liverpool’s website, Balotelli said: “I’m very happy. We’ve been talking about coming here and now I’m happy to be here.
“Liverpool are one of the best teams here in England and the football is very good here. It’s a great team with young players, and that’s why I came here.”
Balotelli is believed to have agreed a three-year, heavily incentivised 90,000-per-week contract as he returns to the Premier League after a troubled 18-month spell with Milan, where he often endured racial abuse from opposing fans.