Mario Balotelli is flying to
Liverpool on a private jet at 13:00 Friday to finalise his
transfer from AC Milan to Anfield.
The 24-year-old will take a medical and sign the contract
Friday or Saturday, sources close to the deal said.
The two clubs agreed a 20-million-euro fee Thursday.
Liverpool want Balotelli to stick to their code of conduct
once his 16-million-pound move from is completed, the Daily
Telegraph said Friday.
The British daily said Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers "has
sought assurances from Balotelli that he will abide by the
club's code of conduct before pressing ahead with the deal".
Having agreed a fee with AC Milan, the Merseyside club held
talks with Balotelli's agent Mino Raiola in Liverpool on
Thursday, during which strict criteria for concluding the deal
were stipulated, the Telegraph said.
"It is understood Rodgers and the Anfield hierarchy
requested a series of clauses to reflect the professional
conduct demanded of all Liverpool's players, with Balotelli
facing disciplinary measures if he falls out of line," the
Telegraph said.
The former Manchester City Italo-Ghanaian star has been
discussing terms with his new club for more than 24 hours.
On Thursday Balotelli said goodbye to players and
staff at Milan.
The sometimes temperamental Italy striker was all smiles as
he left the Milanello training camp.
Balotelli, a controversial figure for his on- and
off-field antics, joined Serie A club Milan from City last year.
The centre-forward's oddball behavior has often
grabbed headlines.
In late 2011, he hit headlines with the British media
reporting he had his new Maserati temporarily confiscated by
police.
That same season he had to spend a night in a hotel because
friends started a blaze with fireworks at his home.
Last year he came in for criticism after a Naples mobster
claimed he had jokingly asked to deal drugs in the southern
Italian city.
There was also an unfortunate darts-throwing incident.
Last month Balotelli posted a picture on Facebook of
himself pointing a gun at the camera, captioned 'Big kiss to the
haters' after he took flak over Italy's early exit from the
World Cup.
The former Inter Milan forward has repeatedly been
subjected to racist taunts in Italy and abroad.
He has often reacted with anger, and in one case last year
was handed a 10,000-euro fine for insulting the crowd at a
match in response to taunting.
Milan reportedly want FC Porto's Colombia
striker Jackson Martinez to replace Balotelli, sources at Silvio
Berlusconi's club said Thursday.
Feelers have been put out to the Portuguese champs, they
said.
Another possible replacement is Torino's Italy striker
Alessio Cerci.
Balotelli had been unsettled amid lack-lustre performances
for the Rossneri and new coach Filippo Inzaghi made no secret of
his inclination for offloading the sometimes sulky talent, while
Reds boss Rodgers was keen to boost his attacking options
following the departure of Luis Suarez.
Balotelli's valuation soared to around 50 million after he
scored the Azzurri's winner against England in Brazil but it
slumped back after two poor displays as Italy crashed out with
defeats to Costa Rica and Uruguay.
New Italy coach Antonio Conte has ditched predecessor
Cesare Prandelli's code of conduct which saw Balotelli dropped
twice, but he has urged Italy's most prominent black sportsman
to "man up" and dust the chip off his shoulder.
Balotelli spent three seasons at Manchester City before
returning to Italy, helping to deliver the FA Cup and Premier
League title in a spell that saw him score 30 goals in 80
appearances.
Despite losing serial biter Suarez to Barcelona, Liverpool
are among the favourites for the Premier League title after
coming close to City last year.
Balotelli first exploded onto the world scene during an
acrimonious spell at Inter Milan from 2007 to 2010, in which he
scored 20 goals in 59 appearances.
He got his first Italy cap in 2010 and has since found the
net 13 times in 33 games, the most celebrated being a brace that
put Italy past Germany into the final of Euro 2012.
At Milan he upped his strike rate, scoring 26 goals in 43
games.
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