Reds lost Balotelli gamble

Cape Town - Liverpool's gamble on signing Mario Balotelli has not paid off according to a leading English soccer journalist. 

Sky Sports report that Liverpool would have been better suited to signing Wilfried Bony or Christian Benteke when Luis Suarez departed Anfield with the gamble on Mario Balotelli backfiring for the Reds. 

Balotelli's Liverpool CV does not feature many highlights with the Italian failing to score his English Premiership goal while making the headlines for several off the field indiscretions.

The Sun’s, Charlie Wyett, said: “Brendan Rodgers always insisted it wasn’t gamble to sign Balotelli but it was and it’s not paid off,”

“Fabio Capello said Balotelli was the same as Antonio Cassano and that you could never ever mange him, you would never control him and he wasn’t worth it. Balotelli has just not returned what you need from someone with that baggage.

"I don’t understand why Liverpool, with the money they had, didn’t look at someone like Wilfried Bony and even Christian Benteke. You would have those two in your team over Balotelli every time.”