AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi believed it was "impossible" that Liverpool would subsidise part of Mario Balotelli's wages while loaning him to the Italian club for the season.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers bought Balotelli from AC Milan for €20m, but quickly found out the Italian did not suit the system he wanted to play at Anfield.
Balotelli was bundled down the pecking order at Anfield and loaned to AC Milan this summer, with the Premier League side agreeing to cover a portion of his wages.
Berlusconi could not believe that a top player could be signed on loan with his club covering some of his wages and the exchange which revealed it was recounted by AC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani to Gazzetta dello Sport.
Galliani said: "President, I have an idea, I am referring to a potential world class player, who could be very useful to our squad, he could come over on loan and with part of his wages paid by his current club."
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Berlusconi replied: "Really? That seems impossible. Who is it?"
And Galliani continued: "President are you sitting or standing?"
"I am standing", Berlusconi said, to which Galliani then said: "Maybe you should sit down."
The CEO then told Berlusconi who he was thinking of and received his instant blessing to do the deal.
"Get him. Sign him straight away", the president said, and AC Milan snapped Balotelli up on a season-long loan deal without a purchase option, boosting their striking options while only making a small financial outlay.
