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Marseille president reveals why deal for former Milan and Liverpool man collapsed

Marseille president reveals why deal for former Milan and Liverpool man collapsed

Marseille looked set on signing Nice’s Italian striker Mario Balotelli before negotiations stopped and the deal fell through. Balotelli, formerly of Liverpool, Milan, Manchester City and Inter, signed for Nice from Liverpool in 2016, on a free transfer.
 
Since then, he has had two strong seasons, scoring 15 league goals in 23 games in his debut season with Nice and scoring 18 in 28 in the 2017/18 Ligue 1 season. However, it appeared as though Balotelli’s time with Nice was at an end, with clubs from all over Europe interested in signing him. Marseille were in talks and the club president, Jacques-Henri Eyraud revealed why the move broke down to L’Equipe:
 
“Definitively closed? I think, as Nice announced it, I assume that Balotelli will stay with them next season. Other things, in a negotiation like this, each party has to make sacrifices, and reaching a balanced agreement is the most important thing in business. Our interests were not completely aligned. Although the player is talented, it is an opportunity that put into question the economic foundations of our project and our ethical conduct in business.”
 
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