Liverpool Transfer News: Mario Balotelli Agrees 'Anti-Scandal' AC Milan Clause

Unique clauses in contracts are not unusual in modern football, but when it comes to Italy striker Mario Balotelli, things are often unprecedented. So perhaps it’s little surprise that with the forward poised to sign for Milan on a season-long loan deal from Liverpool, the Rossoneri have inserted an “anti-scandal” stipulation into the transfer.

That’s according to reports in Italy, cited by Sport, which outlined some of the conditions that will make up this bespoke clause:

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Balotelli will have to avoid making any trouble. Milan have spent time during the talks working on a clause under the name "anti-scandal." 

The said discipline clause, reports in Italy assure, requires him to turn up for training on time, to not be provocative and to behave himself off the pitch. 

In fact, the player himself, in his first words back at the club, admitted as much: "I must work and not talk," he said.

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According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Jack Wilson of the Daily Star) Balotelli has also been told "extravagant haircuts and clothing" are off limits, as will be smoking and clubbing. His social media activity will also reportedly be "closely monitored."

Whether or not Balotelli adheres to these terms is another matter entirely, of course. His career so far has been filled with a litany of peculiar moments, both on and off the field. At Liverpool, according to Simon Hughes of the Independent, the Italian would interrupt coaches mid-discussion and once scored an own goal from the halfway line in a training match.

It’s no surprise, therefore, that the Reds want rid of him, although Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe doesn’t see the point of loaning Balotelli to Milan with no option to buy:

Perhaps it says a lot about how desperate Liverpool are to get rid of a player who seems to be a hugely disruptive influence. All associated with the Merseyside club would probably begrudgingly admit that signing the player from Milan was a major error on their part, and given their current plethora of options in the centre-forward position, he’s simply not needed.

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The fact that no team wanted to sign Balotelli permanently should tell the player something too. Throughout the course of his career, he’s been regularly courted by illustrious teams, but this was the first time there seemed to be a scarcity of potential suitors. Perhaps that’ll finally flick a switch in the mind of the Italian.

After all, as Sport Witness note, there is a fine player in there somewhere:

Balotelli is going to have to work hard at Milan, and if he does so, he should adhere to those terms in his “anti-scandal” clause by default. With Luiz Adriano and Carlos Bacca having already arrived this summer, the Rossoneri are not short of centre-forward options. If the Liverpool man is not up to scratch, manager Sinisa Mihajlovic would have no problem leaving him out.

It’s remarkable that Balotelli continues to get these opportunities, but if this loan deal does turn sour, you do wonder where he’ll go from here. The Reds’ desperation to get him off the books paints an unfavourable picture of a troubled player, and there’s a long way for the 25-year-old to go before he rids himself of the unpleasant reputation he has forged.