Mario Balotelli isn’t going anywhere — at least, not anytime soon.
The Italian soccer star refuted rumors about his impending departure from AC Milan. He told weekly magazine Chi that he doesn’t want to switch clubs before this summer’s FIFA World Cup, Sky Sports reports.
“I will remain at Milan — I must arrive at the World Cup especially tranquil,” he reportedly said.
Balotelli’s name has popped up in the transfer rumor mill in recent weeks after reports of a fall-out between AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi and the talented striker appeared in an Italian newspaper. The late-December report claimed Berlusconi had authorized AC Milan directors to sell Balotelli for €25 million (£20.7 million/$34 million) or more. AC Milan denied the story, but it reportedly alerted a host of clubs who are seeking help scoring goals.
Balotelli’s comments in Chi should squash those rumors. As a key figure on Italy’s national team, it was always unlikely that he would uproot himself just months before a major international tournament like the World Cup. If discord truly exists behind the scenes at AC Milan, he’ll probably endure it for the next few months, do his best at the World Cup and then make a decision about his club future.
Click here to read about Balotelli’s rumored unhappiness at AC Milan>>
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Photo via Facebook/A.C. Milan
