Mino Raiola Discusses Mario Balotelli Liverpool Future and Zlatan Ibrahimovic

If you were thinking Mario Balotelli's first season at Liverpool has been an unmitigated disaster, apparently you'd be wrong. It seems Reds boss Brendan Rodgers is actually aiding Balotelli's career development, at least that's according to the player's agent, Mino Raiola.

He spoke with French radio station RMC (h/t ESPN FC) and described what Rodgers is doing to improve Balotelli:

"

Right now, I think Mario has a very interesting development for his career. He has found a coach who asks of him things that had never been requested of him until now, including the discipline of running without the ball.

This allows him to grow as a person and as a football player. He'll come out even stronger. He is proud of his team [Liverpool] and that is the most important.

"

If Rodgers is indeed making a better player out of Balotelli, he must be keeping it a secret. The results of his work have hardly shown on the pitch.

The always controversial Italy international has scored just four goals in all competitions this season, per ESPN FC. That bleak figure includes netting just once in Premier League action.

That's hardly what the Reds paid £16 million for last summer. Raiola's words also seem strangely timed after his player's latest foray on social media.

Balotelli posted what might easily be construed as a message of discontent on his official Instagram page after he was an unused sub during the Anfield club's recent 2-0 league win over Burnley:

Usually a grievance over selection points directly at the manager who made the call. This hardly jives with Raiola's words.

Perhaps Raiola's words are intended to help calm any storm from Balotelli's latest flirtation with controversy. It just as likely they are designed to try and ensure the striker's stay at Anfield isn't brought to a quick and screeching halt this summer.

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Balotelli's future may be shrouded in uncertainty, but Raiola is certain what another one of his marquee clients will be doing. The agent claims 33-year-old Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic still has "eight years to work."

Jacques Brinon/Associated Press

Raiola made the bold claim during the same interview with RMC. It was then relayed by another report from ESPN FC.

Raiola has certainly set a lofty aim for his client. But Ibrahimovic is a player who's gotten better with age. Yet the idea of him still thriving at the top level into his fifth decade is difficult to fully accept.

Paris-based journalist Jonathan Johnson recently told B/R's Ryan Bailey Ibrahimovic is enduring his weakest campaign in Ligue 1. Significantly, Johnson did cite age as a factor in the striker's regression:

Raiola did indicate PSG won't be the towering Swede's final stop. Considering he has just one year left on his current deal, that opens the possibility of Ibrahimovic leaving the French capital.

Raiola may already be trying to drum up some interest. But while Ibrahimovic's talent and performances sell themselves, Raiola's toughest task will remain convincing the football world Balotelli will ever live up to his potential.

It might help if agent and player were singing from the same hymn sheet.