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Football

05th Dec 2020

Mario Balotelli set to join Silvio Berlusconi’s AC Monza on free transfer

Former Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli is set to join Serie B side AC Monza on a free transfer after leaving Brescia

Reuben Pinder

Didn’t fancy a move to Barnsley then, Mario?

Mario Balotelli is set to join Serie B side AC Monza on a free transfer after leaving Brescia at the end of last season.

During his time as a free agent, the former Manchester City striker has been loosely linked with Championship side Barnsley, but apparently prefers Lombardy to Yorkshire.

Since hitting the heights of leading Italy to the final of Euro 2012, Balotelli has struggled to settle at a club. He enjoyed two good seasons at OGC Nice before it all went sour in 2018-19 under Patrick Vieira.

A brief run of form at Marseille was shortlived before a move home to Brescia saw him take the captains armband, but Balotelli was unable to save them from relegation.

And now, the forward will move just 88 kilometres west to Monza, just outside Milan, to play second tier football for the first time in his career.

Monza are owned by Italian media tycoon and former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, and recently signed Kevin Prince Boateng, with whom Balotelli struck up a fruitful partnership during their time at AC Milan together.