Super agent Mino Raiola has claimed that Lionel Messi would have won fewer Ballon d'Or honours if Mario Balotelli had Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s mentality.
Despite having great potential, Balotelli has never really settled at any club side or on the international front with Italy.
The striker showed glimpses of his talent at Inter Milan, Manchester City and AC Milan which prompted Liverpool to snap him up from the Rossoneri in 2014.
Balotelli failed to make his mark at Liverpool and was shipped back to AC Milan on a loan deal last summer, with the 25-year-old managing just three goals in 25 appearances in all competitions this season.
On the other hand, despite being 34 years old, Ibrahimovic has been in stupendous form in the current campaign; the Sweden international has scored 44 goals and provided 18 assists in 47 games for Paris Saint-Germain.
relatedNewsStory
And Raiola, who is the agent of both Balotelli and Ibrahimovic, thinks the Italian could have rivalled Messi for Ballon d'Or honours if he had the right mentality.
“If he had the mentality of Ibrahimovic, Messi would have won fewer Ballon d'Ors”, he told Italian daily Corriere della Sera.
It remains to be seen if Balotelli remains at AC Milan beyond the season, with his present contract with Liverpool running until 2018; the forward has made it clear that he does not want to return to the Merseyside giants.
