Former Man City star Mario Balotelli could join the 12th club of his career
(Image: Getty Images)

Ex-Manchester City man Mario Balotelli could join 12th club as offer from third tier 'considered'

01 Oct 2024, 13:01 by Bruna Reis · Manchester Evening News

Mario Balotelli is reportedly mulling over an offer to sign for a third-division Spanish team after parting ways with Turkish club Adana Demirspor.

The 34-year-old striker, who has had a nomadic career spanning across Europe, from Italy, Turkey, England, France, and Switzerland, left the Turkish side in the summer transfer window and is still on the hunt for a new club. Despite a knee injury hindering his second stint with Adana Demirspor, he managed to net seven goals in 16 games in the Turkish Super Lig last season.

However, the club chose not to extend his contract, making him a free agent once more. It appears that after stints at Lumezzane, Inter Milan, Manchester City, AC Milan, Liverpool, Nice, Marseille, Brescia, Monza, Sion and Adana, he could be heading to CF Intercity, a club based in Alicante, Spain.

The third-tier team's stadium can accommodate up to 2,000 spectators, marking a significant drop in standard for Balotelli, who has earned 36 caps for Italy. Nevertheless, AS reports that talks are progressing well and Balotelli is seriously contemplating the offer, despite Intercity being unable to register him until the January transfer window opens.

The report hints that Intercity's current move to go public on the stock market could be playing a part in their decision to target Balotelli, hinting at an attempt to bump up their share price. Formed by a 2017 takeover of GCD Sant Joan d'Alacant, Intercity have rapidly ascended the ranks to Spain's third tier since 2022 and are currently positioned 15th with six points from the first six games in Primera Federacion – Group 2, reports the Mirror.

The Italian was also previously offered a spot with Corinthians in July, when academy director Claudinei Alves said: "Corinthians are prepared to offer him a two-year contract. The [Corinthians] president is the one who is leading talks. He wants three million euros per year and a two-year contract. Balotelli's intention is to return to play for the Italian national team."

Despite his absence from Italy's squad since 2018 and dwindling prospects for a comeback, last year, Balotelli expressed his ambition: "I want to recover and play for the national team. I always hope for the call. I met [Luciano] Spalletti, and I've met him several times. We made some jokes when we met in a friendly with Napoli, but I have no relationship."

During Balotelli's stint in Turkey, it was comparatively quiet when measured against his usual headlines; still, he was entangled in a significant car crash back in Italy in November that wrecked his Audi.

Nonetheless, his tenure with Sion in Switzerland painted a stark contrast, marred by multiple off-field scandals, including a suspension for declaring the Swiss league 'corrupt' and being dropped from the team due to late-night partying before a match.

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