In the hubbub of transfer deadline day, one of the more intriguing moves proved to be Mario Balotelli’s free switch to Nice. Liverpool willingly got the Italian off their books at the last possible opportunity and, after an unsuccessful loan spell back at AC Milan, the Reds were happy to cut their ties with the 26-year-old. His initial move to Liverpool was always going to attract plenty of attention, with the striker’s performances scrutinised from the off.
Always hoping to be at the centre of attention, Balotelli struggled with the demands of Brendan Rodgers and never really got to grips with the approach and style of play. The pressure was greater in that he was signed in the wake of Luis Suarez’s departure, with the Uruguayan netting 31 league goals in his final season for the Merseysiders. Of course, hoping for Balotelli to have the same impact as Suarez was a stretch to say the least - the same season Suarez piled in 31 league goals, Balotelli scored 14 times for AC Milan in Serie A, his most prolific campaign in the last eight league seasons.
Indeed, he netted just one league goal from 16 appearances, 10 of which were starts, in his solitary campaign for Liverpool. A subsequent loan move back to Milan yielded just one Serie A goal from 20 appearances, eight of which were starts. All in all, Balotelli has scored only two league goals from his last 99 shots in the Premier League and Serie A, returning a pitiful conversion rate of just 2%. It’s no wonder Liverpool were keen to free up his reported £100,000-a-week wages.
“Balotelli on a free is still paying over the odds by Nice,” Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher tweeted on deadline day, and judging from his recent club performances, the former defender may not be far from the truth. However, the striker’s switch to the Ligue 1 side takes him out of the limelight that comes with playing for the likes of Liverpool and AC Milan, with all due respect to Nice. The move is a chance for redemption for Balotelli, who only needs to look at Hatem Ben Arfa’s form for the French side as inspiration.
The France international secured a switch to Nice last summer and rejuvenated his career with Les Aiglons, netting 17 league goals and completing more dribbles per game (4.5) than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues last term to help land a move to PSG earlier this year. Balotelli must be hoping lightning can strike twice in Nice. Ben Arfa’s career was at a crossroads when he moved to the Cote d'Azur, in danger of fizzling out altogether, with a stunning campaign thrusting him back into the forefront of people’s thoughts, most notably Didier Deschamps.
Balotelli is more or less in a similar predicament to Ben Arfa from 12 months ago and while the striker will play under a different manager - Claude Puel has taken over the reins at Saints with Lucien Favre the frontman’s new manager - the French outfit will be hoping new surroundings have the desired effect on Balotelli. Favre’s side requires a shot in the arm, of that there is no doubt. Granted, they are one of three teams at the summit of Ligue 1 following the opening three games of the season, however they have netted just three goals in that run.
The departures of Ben Arfa and Valere Germain, who between them netted 31 of Nice’s 58 league goals last season, hit them hard. Current starting frontman Alassane Plea has just one goal to his name - a tap in from close range into an empty net at Angers - and is hardly the ideal striker in Favre’s favoured 4-3-3 formation, having scored just 10 league goals since his move to Nice in 2014.
Ideally, Balotelli’s arrival will have the desired impact on Plea. The Italy international remains a hugely talented individual, despite having lost his way in recent seasons, and if he can keep his head down and work hard for his place, then there is no reason why he cannot rediscover his best form on the French Riviera. This will further push Plea to continue his development and provide him with sufficient competition for a regular starting spot.
It’s harsh to be overly critical of Plea for a lack of goals, however, given the 23-year-old is a winger by trade, and in Favre’s favoured 4-3-3 formation, it’s no wonder he is struggling to lead the line, particularly as he was routinely deployed in a two-man strike partnership last season. As the lone frontman, though, Balotelli is perfectly suited to the role, given his physical stature and experience in the position - this is perhaps one of the contributing factors as to why his Liverpool move did not work out.
“I will win the Ballon d’Or,” Balotelli said back in July. The path to individual glory is now shrouded in uncertainty, but a strong season with Nice will thrust the Italian back into the spotlight, just as it did with Ben Arfa, with his dreams of an international return not yet over.
Can Mario Balotelli resurrect his career with Nice? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
