Balotelli looks likely to return to Liverpool for pre-season

Striker Mario Balotelli appears likely to make a return to Liverpool from AC Milan for pre-season training.

AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi has intimated the Serie A club would not be making their loan deal for the mercurial Italian a permanent one.

Balotelli is expected to exit the San Siro along with Alex, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Philippe Mexes as Milan look to reshape their squad.

The 25-year-old moved back to Milan on a season-long loan last year after failing to impress at Anfield, scoring just one Premier League goal following a £16m switch from the San Siro in August 2014.

But his second stint with Milan has proved similarly unproductive as he only managed to find the back of the net once in 20 league appearances, and that was last September in a 3-2 win at Udinese.

Balotelli started Milan's last two league matches, leading to suggestions he could remain with the club, but Berlusconi has signaled the former Manchester City striker will be heading back to Merseyside.

Berlusconi said: "There will be many departures because players such as Alex, Mexes, Boateng and Balotelli are at the end of their contracts."

Balotelli, who was left out of Italy's Euro 2016 squad, admitted in April that he would be reluctant to link up with the Reds once more.

"In terms of my future I want to stay with Milan because I was not happy at Liverpool and don't want to go back," Balotelli said.