Former Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli could potentially be nearing a return to the Premier League, according to reports in Turkey.
The Italian striker, now aged 31, signed for the Reds in 2014 but didn’t find much success in his short spell on Merseyside, scoring just once in the Premier League
Currently playing for top-flight Turkish side Adana Demirspor, the former Manchester City man has scored eight and assisted four in 20 appearances across all competitions so far this season.
However, the club’s president Murat Sancak has admitted that Balotelli ’s performances have prompted interest from various clubs in the goalscorer- with Newcastle United claimed to be among them.
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“An Arab team made an offer for Balotelli yesterday. We refused,” Sancak recently told Turkish outlet Fanatik, as reported by Inside Futbol .
“We said, we do not intend to sell.
“Newcastle United were considering signing Balotelli, but so far they have not made us an offer.
“There is an exit clause in his contract. I will not tell you the number.”
Balotelli arrived at Anfield for £16m from Milan after a prolific 18 months saw him score 26 goals in 46 Serie A games for the Rossoneri.
However, the Italy international failed to fill the void left by Barcelona-bound Luis Suarez, finding the net just four times for Liverpool in total.
The following season, Balotelli was loaned back to Milan and then swiftly sold by then-new Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, moving to French side Nice on a free transfer in 2016.
He spent three years in France, between Nice and Marseille, where he rediscovered his goalscoring touch with 41 goals in 76 Ligue 1 games.
A subsequent return to Italy, via short spells with Brescia and Serie B side Monza, eventually led to him signing for his current club last summer.
After Adana Demirspor president Sancak confirmed the existence of a release clause in Balotelli’s contract, it will be intriguing to see whether Newcaslte do opt to make a move - given the club’s recent spending spree and desire to fight relegation.
