Mario Balotelli's future should be in MLS

The entertaining and enigmatic Mario Balotelli is likely to leave Liverpool after returning to England following a season-long loan at AC Milan.

Milan doesn't want him. Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, who left Balotelli off the team's preseason roster for Friday's friendly against Tranmere, apparently doesn't want him either. Balotelli is on the last year of his contract at Anfield, but if he's still on the team come Sept. 1, he's due a six-figure loyalty bonus.

That has led to rumors that if Liverpool can't sell him, they'll buy him out of his deal and make him a free agent.

Balotelli is only 25 years old. His talent is still prodigious. He's a reclamation project, sure, but the upside is astounding. Only two years ago, he scored 23 goals in 44 apperances. This is a striker who took down Germany with a brace in the 2012 Euros. This is a dude who can still do stuff like this:

He's also among soccer's most engaging characters. He'll put butts in seats.

There's little doubt that Balotelli will end up in China, where teams are handing out massive, $300,000-a-week contracts to any player with name recognition who is willing to train in smog.

But the market value for Balotelli hasn't been set yet.  

What if instead of China, he went to Chicago?

Let this be the official start of the #Balo2MLS movement.

There aren't many teams in the league that would be able to take on Balotelli, who would almost certainly take a Designated Player spot —€” Chicago and Philadelphia are both large markets that could take on the former Azzurri star.

(The Red Bulls could fit Balotelli into a DP spot, but they're not in need of an impact striker.)

It's hard to imagine that the Union, who are four points out of first place, would make a move for Balotelli —€” there's no good reason for them to do so.

But what's Chicago's excuse?

The Fire have played a more attractive style this year —€” that's a positive —€” but they're still in the basement of the Eastern Conference and don't have a game-changer on their roster.

For all of the negatives that come with Balotelli —€” and there are plenty, to be fair —€” he would drastically improve the quality of this Fire team.

Balo has been linked with MLS before —€” New York City considered adding Balotelli before opting to instead sign Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo, according to an ESPN report. This time, the league would most likely not have to pay a transfer fee for the striker's services. If Balotelli wants to come to the U.S., he would only need to agree to contract terms with a team.

There's been a litany of problems and controversies surrounding Balotelli, but a glut of talent as well. Furthermore, Liverpool isn't set to release him because of behavior —€” by all accounts, he's been a professional with the team —€” but because he doesn't have a role on the team and is making too much not make the side.

Balotelli would certainly make the team sheet of the MLS' worst team, and the combination of down-on-their-luck team and a down-on-his-luck player could be the perfect fit.

The transfer window is wide open. MLS has until August 3 to bring Balo stateside.

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