Mario Balotelli has revealed that he has in the past rejected an offer that came with a ‘much higher’ salary than those being offered in Saudi Arabia at the moment.
In a recent interview with Controcalcio, the 33-year-old disclosed that he had previously been subject of enormously lucrative offers from China at the height of Super League’s spending towards the end of the 2010s.
“I rejected an offer that was much higher than the figures being thrown around in Saudi Arabia,” the former Inter, Manchester City and Milan striker claimed. He continued: “I preferred to play football and stay in Marseille.”
Since the summer of 2022, Balotelli has been representing Swiss side Sion, but despite averaging a respectable goal every three games, six in 18 to be precise, the headline-making striker was excluded from the first-team squad by the end of last season.
Elsewhere in his interview with Controcalcio, Balotelli also hinted that his international career could be over, even if he were to be called up by the recently appointed Luciano Spalletti.
“I don’t know if I would accept another call-up, I’ve had too many disappointments,” he explained.
Didn’t he once say he was gonna win Ballon d’Or?