Apparently on the verge of a return to the big time, the 27-year-old attacker finds himself in a state of limbo a week before the season begins
It had been four long years, but when Roberto Mancini finally handed Mario Balotelli an Italy recall for the end-of-season friendlies against Saudi Arabia and France, there were few who questioned the Nice forward’s place in the squad.
The days of ‘Why Always Me?’ appeared to be over, with the striker coming off the back of a career-best campaign in which he had scored 18 league goals and shown a level of maturity previously conspicuous by its absence from both his game and his behaviour.