Mario Balotelli Reportedly Completes Medical Ahead of €4.5M Nice Move

Mario Balotelli travelled to Nice today to undergo a medical and complete his move to the Ligue 1 club, and according to reports in Italy, that has no been successfully completed and the two clubs are currently very close to agreeing a permanent deal for the 26-year-old striker.

According to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, there had been both loan and permanent transfer option that were being discussed by Liverpool and Nice, but in the end it was the permanent transfer that became the preferred option for all partied involved in the transfer.

If true, it would see Liverpool paid just around €4.5M—or £3.75M—up front for Balotelli, substantially less than the £16M the club paid for him two years ago and a fee that reflects the difficulties they have had moving him on from Anfield this summer.

However, Liverpool will reportedly seek to protect themselves by including a substantial sell-on clause in the deal, meaning that if Balotelli sets Ligue 1 alight and earns a move to a bigger club, Liverpool would likely recoup their outlay on him at that point.