Balotelli deal excites Genoa director: He showed 'huge desire' to join us

Mario Balotelli is set to seal a headline-grabbing return to Serie A after agreeing to join Genoa.

"Save for any surprises, he will be a Genoa player tomorrow," Genoa sporting director Marco Ottolini said Sunday.

He added: "We've decided to go all-in with Balotelli. We're hoping for real enthusiasm, he has shown a huge desire to come back (to Italy) and play for Genoa."

The 34-year-old agreed to reduce his salary to sign a deal until the end of the season with Genoa, transfer insider Fabrizio Romano reports. It means the striker will again play in Italy, where he previously suited up for Inter, AC Milan, Brescia, and Monza.

Balotelli spent two of the last three seasons in Turkey with Adana Demirspor, scoring 25 goals in 49 Super Lig appearances. He left as a free agent at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.

Genoa will become Balotelli's 12th professional club. He began his career at Lumezzane and played under Jose Mourinho at Inter before winning the Premier League with Manchester City in 2012. He then joined Milan in 2013 for the first of two stints with the Rossoneri. He floundered during his single season with Liverpool in 2014 but enjoyed a mid-career renaissance with Nice and Marseille before returning to Serie A with Brescia in 2019.

A short stint with Monza, then in Serie B, preceded his time at Adana. He also spent a season at Switzerland's Sion in between spells in Turkey.

As much attention as Balotelli brings, Genoa can't afford to waste time. The club is currently in 18th place in the Serie A table with just six points from its opening nine matches. Genoa are also facing an ownership crisis, with majority shareholders 777 Capital being ordered by court to wind up its operations over unpaid debts.

Balotelli will find a familiar face in Alberto Gilardino, a former striker who now coaches the Grifoni. The two were teammates on the Italian national team from 2010-13.

Balotelli hasn't played for the Azzurri since 2018.