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There has been a lot written about Mario Balotelli since Liverpool FC agreed a £16m fee with AC Milan for the Italian striker, but what is the view of the player in Italy?

James Horncastle is a British writer with a fine knowledge of Italian football, writing for several publications (including ESPN, the Blizzard and Four Four Two), and also serving as the Serie A specialist on BT Sport's European Football Show.

We asked James his opinion the Reds' move for Balotelli, and what Liverpool can expect from their potential new signing.

Milan always seemed a dream move for him, so how come he is leaving so soon?

James Horncastle: In my opinion, it's more down to Milan's financial situation than any exasperation with Balotelli. That should be reassuring to Liverpool fans. Milan aren't fed up with him, although that's the impression they'd like to give - they have been on an austerity drive these last couple of years.

The owner Silvio Berlusconi can't spend like he used to and the family holding company wants Milan to be self sustainable in the FFP era. That's what was behind the big sales of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva two summers ago and I think it's behind Balotelli's sale now. Finishing eighth and not qualifying for the Champions League left Milan with little or no money to spend this summer. They had to cover their losses. Kaka and Robinho have left, saving money on their wages.

Balotelli has been sold to raise the finance new coach Pippo Inzaghi requires to bring in the players he wants. Personally I feel Milan are making a mistake.

Inevitably there will be worries over his behaviour both on and off the field. How has that been since joining Milan?

JH: The hope was that he'd settle down at Milan. He'd be closer to his friends and family. He's a father now and is engaged.

In my opinion, Balotelli gets a raw deal. Of course he doesn't help himself with some of his antics. Posting a pic of himself playing Ping Pong when he is out with a shoulder injury or doing the Ice Bucket challenge a day after missing a friendly because he supposedly had a flu bug is always going irritate fans. They don't think he is as professional as he could be.

Posting another of him pointing a gun at the camera was also misjudged. Filling the Italy page in the Panini album with stickers of himself also didn't discourage the impression that he has a big ego. Is it any wonder he ends up in the papers? Gazzetta [an Italian football paper] claim he made 788 headlines in 568 days. How many were about football?

Rather than a top player, in Italy they now call him a pop player, more of a cultural phenomenon than a calcio one. Yet, as Andrea Pirlo said during the World Cup, if Balotelli goes to the toilet, the papers don't have to dedicate pages to him going to the toilet.

How has his game developed since being at Milan?

JH: The criticism is that it hasn't and that Balotelli should have progressed more. He's 24 now. And yet some claim he is still the same player as at Inter and Man City.

One prominent columnist, Il Corriere della Sera's Mario Sconcerti, even believes he was better "six or seven years ago."

Moments of brilliance continue to be counterbalanced by issues of temperament and discipline. He has never scored more than 14 league goals in a season. His record at Milan - 30 in 54 games - is impressive but break it down and you'll discover that of the 26 that came in Serie A, less than half (12) came from open play. The rest were penalties (9) and free kicks (5). Only a couple were against teams in Italy's top four as well.

The thing with Balotelli is while he might let you down, he also promises to win you games that you otherwise wouldn't expect to. The Why Always Me performance, his Premier League winning assist for Aguero, the Incredible Hulk display for Italy in the Euro 2012 semi-final.

For all the memorable highs though there have been some real lows too. Like for instance throwing his Inter shirt to the ground in the Champions League semi final against Barcelona which ended his career in Nerazzurro, his sending off for City against Arsenal which seemed to put paid to their title chances and more recently his first half performance and half-time tantrum against Uruguay.

It's Jekyll and Hyde.

JH: How did Milan get the best out of him?

Often they played him on his own up front. Not everyone agrees that this is his best position though. For one thing, he likes to come short and involve himself in the play. Therefore the man who should be in the penalty area often isn't. Prandelli had to remind him that he is there to finish moves not start them.

Also, if you're on your own up front, you're the centre-backs reference point. You'll get kicked more. That only gets Balotelli more and more frustrated and he loses focus. Is that what you want? Some believe he should return to where he played at Inter and at City, out on the left so he's not as much of a target, and can cut inside or pick up second balls.

JH: Can he be a success at Liverpool?

I think he can be. I would be cautious though. Don't believe that it will be different this time. That's what they said when Balotelli went to City and when he went to Milan and, as discussed above, there was more reason to believe it would be different and Milan, the club he supported as a boy, than anywhere else.

I feel it'd also be arrogant for Rodgers to believe that he holds the key to unlocking the potential within Balotelli. The likes of Roberto Mancini and Cesare Prandelli did too. They were like father figures to him. They mentored, protected and indulged him. They desperately wanted to see Mario succeed. They put their reputations on the line for it. And yet, but for flashes and a few big moments, both were left disappointed and wondering whether it was all worthwhile.

JH: Will this prove a good deal for Liverpool?

At £16m, it's a steal. Think about that figure for a moment. Fulham bought Ross McCormack from Leeds for £11m. Southampton signed Shane Long from Hull City for £12m. And Liverpool are getting Mario Balotelli for a few million more.

There's risk, but potential huge reward. If he produces and keeps on the straight and narrow, fantastic. Liverpool have one of the finest talents of his generation. If he doesn't he cost half what Andy Carroll did and, as someone still yet to hit his mid-20s, has resale value.