Former Man City strikers may make January Premier League returns

Any club buying Mario Balotelli should know that scenarios off the football pitch occur almost as frequently as star performances on it and it is this that may bring an end to his time at AC Milan.

According to the Italian press, Barbara Berlusconi, the daughter of AC Milan owner Silvio and a member of the club’s board of directors, is unhappy with Balotelli’s “greater than football” attitude.

Balotelli is now in the midst of a five-game scoring drought for Milan and was started on the substitute’s bench for the recent Champions League defeat against Barcelona.

Admittedly, Milan did look a greater threat when he was introduced in the second half, but Balotelli still plays in a fairly lazy manner and only seems to be about 70 per cent interested in the game.

Paris Saint-Germain are one club to be linked, but where Balotelli would fit into a team that already has to incorporate Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani is not obvious.

The other link has been with Chelsea and given that Balotelli and Jose Mourinho are thought to be on good terms now does increase the likelihood of such a move.

Much will probably hinge on whether Fernando Torres can continue to show glimmers of his old self and what the club’s future plans are for Romelu Lukaku, after his somewhat surprising loan switch to Everton.

Like Balotelli, Robinho has also started seven league games for Milan this season, but hasn’t scored in the league since September and has hardly been a leading creative force either.

He is another that the club seems willing to listen offers for in January and it may aid the player also, given he will want a spot in the Brazil squad for the 2014 World Cup.

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