Should La Viola Make a Play at Balotelli?

With the season coming to a close, it is time to start looking at some fun potential acquisitions that Fiorentina should investigate going into the 2017/2018 season. Number one on that list should be Mario Balotelli. Yes you read that correctly, Mario Balotelli. Super Mario has had a bit of a tumultuous career. Luckily for him and fans of the entertaining star, he has had a resurgence in Nice this season. At the end of this year Balotelli will be allowed to leave Nice on a free transfer. Due to this fact, there is no reason why Fiorentina should not take a chance on the young talent.

Recently, there have been reports that Super Mario has a deal in place to join Las Palmas in Spain. They are just reports though. As we know rumors are rumors until they become reality. Balotelli is completely available and has had his best success playing in Italy. It is time for Mario to come home and put on a purple jersey. You may ask why would Fiorentina ever take a chance on the unpredictable striker?

Well for instance Fiorentina needs a striker. After the loan Giuseppe Rossi and the transfer of Mario Gomez, la Viola has had some real struggle getting production out of the striker position. Yes, Nikola Kalinic has scored some goals this season, but really does not seem to be in the form that he was when he started hot in 2015. Kalinic is also rumored to be on his way out of Florence with a potential transfer to Milan or Borussia Dortmand. Unless, the new manager, yes the new manager wants to go with the young strikers in the system, Kalinic will need to be replaced.

In steps, Mario Balotelli. Super Mario has 17 goals this season for Nice in 27 appearances. That is about on par with what Kalinic did this season and Balotelli is more entertaining to watch. Wouldn’t it be great to see Mario showboat when Fiorentina has big leads? Of course it will be. The best part about it is you never know what he is going to do next. When focused Mario Balotelli has the potential to be one of the best players in the world. Unfortunately, he also has a habit of being non-existant on the pitch. The biggest driving point behind this push is that he is available on a free transfer. Fiorentina may not be a club that can attract the top talent in the world, but when that talent is going through a rough patch Florence is the perfect place to get their footing again. Who knows he may even take a discount to play in Italy again.

Wouldn’t this be fun to watch on a weekly basis?

At the end of the day, there is about a .001% chance that this actually happens. Fiorentina does not normally venture into the damaged goods pile too much. Balotelli also will probably have a bit of a steep price tag coming off a very solid season in France. It is fun to dream about though. Who else would enjoy this? Please comment below and let the fun begin.