Thursday, 21st August, 2014
As Mario Balotelli heads to Liverpool from AC Milan, it has emerged Atletico Madrid passed on the chance to make a bid for the striker.
Milan have been open to offloading Balotelli for the right price throughout the summer, something which has seen the former Manchester City man linked with a number of clubs, including Arsenal and Galatasaray.
But it is Liverpool who came forward to answer Milan's call, offering €20m for the striker, with personal terms now all but agreed and the Italian set to start a new chapter at Anfield.
However, Balotelli could all too easily have been at Atletico Madrid, has the Spanish champions wanted to make a move for the player.
According to Sky Italia, Balotelli's agent Mino Raiola held talks with Atletico Madrid, offering the striker's services to Diego Simeone's men, who lost Diego Costa to Chelsea earlier this summer.
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Atletico Madrid, who have signed Mario Mandzukic from Bayern Munich to replace Costa and saw no need for the Italian, passed on the chance to make a move for Balotelli though.
The striker has now bid farewell to his Milan team-mates and is set to fly to England for a medical with Liverpool, heading back to the country he left in January 2013.
Balotelli could make his debut for Liverpool against former club Manchester City if the deal is pushed over the line in time.
Liverpool travel to Manchester City in the Premier League on Monday evening.
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