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Balotelli wants Mamadou Sakho with him at Nice


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Ex-Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli is eager to see his former teammate Mamadou Sakho join him at OGC Nice in the future.

The Italian forward was a flop £18m signing under Brendan Rodgers and after being told to leave in summer by Jurgen Klopp, he left on a free transfer to join the Ligue 1 side after no club stepped forward to buy him.

Balotelli has scored six goals in six Ligue 1 appearances this season and has rediscovered his best form, but he now wants his ex-Liverpool team-mate Mamadou Sakho to join him in January and he will be asking him to do so.

“I speak to him from time to time,” Balotelli told TF1.

“What a waste a player like that doesn’t play. He’s one of the best defenders I’ve come across. He should play every game. He should leave.

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“If he wants to come … I’m going to ask him. I’m really going to ask him. In January? It would be good.”

The 26-year-old centre-back had a falling out with Jurgen Klopp during the pre-season and has not featured for the first-team at all so far this term, casting doubt over his long-term future at Anfield.

Joel Matip has been hugely impressive since signing from Schalke while Ragnar Klavan and Dejan Lovren have both been solid through three months of the season.

Given their options in defence, it might be wise for Liverpool to sell Sakho in January to fund other possible moves if those bridges between him and the coaching staff have been permanently burned.

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