West Ham United currently hold no interest in striker Mario Balotelli, according to Claret and Hugh.
The reliable club source claim that Manuel Pellegrini doesn’t favour a move for the Italian international, as he would prefer to bring in a forward who is much more of a team player.
Claret and Hugh report that there is ‘absolutely no chance’ of the 28-year-old making the move to the London Stadium in this transfer window.
Balotelli was first reported by The Telegraph to have been offered to West Ham after his recent release from French club Marseille.
The former Manchester City and Liverpool forward scored eight goals in 15 Ligue 1 appearances last season.
OPINION
This move shows that Pellegrini is willing to stick to his guns this season. West Ham fans will appreciate the fact that their manager isn’t prepared to take the so-called easy option in signing a free agent in Balotelli. The situation is getting desperate at the London Stadium though, with Javier Hernandez being the Hammers only out-and-out striker. Balotelli does come with a lot of added baggage, with the controversial figure also at the heart of problems at the clubs he has been at. The forward is very self-centred and puts himself first on and off the field, failing to deliver a single assist last season. The 28-year-old was poor in terms of passing as well, looking at his stats via WhoScored, Balotelli had a pass success rate of only 68.9% for Marseille, alongside only averaging a key pass every two games. With Pellegrini most likely to play a lone striker, Balotelli isn’t that man and Pellegrini is certainly making the right decision.
