Mario Balotelli smoking: Liverpool striker hinders search for new club as he's pictured puffing on cigarette in Italy
25-year-old has been told he is not part of Jurgen Klopp's plans next season as he continues search for new club
Posted Tuesday, August 02, 2016 by Thesun.co.uk
MARIO BALOTELLI does not help himself.
He's already been told by Liverpool he's not wanted at Anfield next season – and now he's been pictured smoking on holiday as his search for a new home becomes more desperate.
Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli is pictured smoking a cigarette on holiday in Portofino, Italy
The 25-year-old is struggling to find a new club this summer
Balotelli has been linked with numerous clubs after the Reds made it clear they no longer want him
He looked like he didn't have a care in the world at the Ristorante Strainer
AC Milan don't want him. Besiktas don't want him. Ajax will only take him if he lowers his wages.
The Italian striker, 25, is currently on £90,000-a-week wages at Liverpool and the Reds are desperate to get him off the books.
But they are struggling to find suitors for the maverick striker.
Balotelli has just two league goals since April 2014 and at this point in his career may have been blacklisted by clubs.
Publicly smoking will only increase concerns potential suitors have for the striker.
Sitting at the Strainer restaurant in the Italian village of Portofino, south of Genoa, Balotelli looked like he didn't have a care in the world.
The former Azzurri had earlier taken a boat trip with friends.
That is despite the striker clearly being told he will no longer remain at Liverpool.
While Jurgen Klopp and the rest of the first-team travelled to the US for their pre-season tour, Balotelli was left behind to train with the club's Under-21s.
The striker was earlier seen relaxing on a boat with friends
It is not the first time Balotelli has been seen smoking – he was spotted outside a club in Manchester and at a bar in Miami.
Ajax are the favourites to take on the Italian but there is a huge disparity between his wages and their strict wage structure.
The Amsterdam giants do not pay above £40,000-a-week to players, less than half of what Balotelli earns on Merseyside.
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Sampdoria and Besiktas have all been linked with the striker but none of them were interested in him at his current cost.
The striker eat melon at the restaurant in Italy
Jurgen Klopp has made it clear Balotelli has no future at Anfield
Super agent Mino Raiola continues to work on a deal for his client.
In fact, Besiktas boss Senol Gunes went a step further in his criticism.
He said over the weekend: "Balotelli is not part of my plans, I don't have a favourable opinion of him.
"I have never heard anything positive about him."
Liverpool will also want to recoup some of the money they spent on the ill-fated move for the striker in 2014.
The Reds paid £16million for his services but he barely featured under then-manager Brendan Rodgers.
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