Mario Balotelli set for ‘six-figure loyalty bonus’ if Liverpool can’t sell him

Mario Balotelli accepted a steep pay cut when he signed his three-year contract at Anfield. (Source: Reuters)

Out-of-favour Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli will receive a six-figure loyalty bonus if he is still at the club when the transfer window closes on Sept. 1, according to British media reports.

The Italy international has not featured for the club since April 28. He has also been frozen out of manager Brendan Rodgers’ squad and is not being allowed to train with the first team.

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Balotelli has made just 10 Premier League starts and scored only one goal since joining the Merseyside club for 16 million pounds ($25 million) from AC Milan in August 2014.

He accepted a steep pay cut when he signed his three-year contract at Anfield, but his agent Mino Raiola negotiated a number of add-ons for his client, including a series of lucrative loyalty bonuses.

Raiola said earlier this summer that Balotelli would not leave Liverpool in this transfer window, despite interest from several Italian clubs.

Liverpool have been widely reported to be seeking to offload the striker, and earlier this week the club’s long-forgotten left-back Jose Enrique accused the manager of “alienating” him, as well as Balotelli and forward Fabio Borini.