The Nice star has been linked to the Serie A giants after being a notable observer during Friday’s 3-0 win over Inter, and the Partenopei’s boss has not ruled anything out
Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri has opened the door for a move for Mario Balotelli, insisting the forward would be a welcome addition at the club.
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Nice star Balotelli was a notable observer during Napoli’s 3-0 win over his former club Inter on Friday, tweeting his praise for the victors on Twitter.
Balotelli, who also featured for AC Milan, indicated his awe at Piotr Zielinski’s opening goal before praising the entire team.
Napoli wow che gol
— Mario Balotelli (@FinallyMario) December 2, 2016
Ma i giocatori del napoli ? Maaaammaaaa mia
— Mario Balotelli (@FinallyMario) December 2, 2016
The 26-year-old’s social media activity sparked transfer speculation post-match and when asked about Balotelli’s comments, Sarri told Sky Sport Italia: “It depends on him. It’s very nice living in Nice, but then it’s lovely in Naples too.
“Mario is a player with the right characteristics for any team. When he doesn’t do well, it’s his fault.”
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Balotelli has starred in his debut season in Ligue 1, scoring seven goals in nine appearances for Nice.
Napoli are seeking attacking reinforcements after selling Gonzalo Higuain to Juventus and then seeing his replacement Arkadiusz Milik suffer a long-term injury.
And while hedging talk of a move, Sarri jokingly said the club would be open to working out a move for the enigmatic former Italy striker.
“I do not deal with the transfer market, but if he likes I can forward him [director of sport Cristiano] Giuntoli’s number,” the trainer added via Rai Sport.