Balotelli's Liverpool contract demand is £92k a week, after Tax

Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport are hugely excited about the prospect of Mario Balotelli going to Liverpool. The story is all over Italy and largely claimed as a done deal between the two clubs for around €20m.

Several Italians outlets have claimed it's just a matter of time before the deal is completed and SportMediaSet, owned by the same people as AC Milan, say 'white smoke' is near, a neat reference to the Pope... but then it is Italy!

Gazzetta dello Sport explain that Balotelli's agent Mino Raiola is currently negotiating with Liverpool on a personal contract and the player's requirements are huge. Raiola always does his best to get a huge deal for clients, as anyone who has read Zlatan Ibrahimovic's autobiography will know.

The money he wants this time,  according to Gazzetta , is €6m per year, £92k a week, on a five year contract. That sounds perfectly reasonable but the amount is after-tax, meaning the true figure would be much higher. 

Raiola will be playing the game and trying to create a panic situation which forces Liverpool hand to agree to a huge salary. If his past is anything to judge upon then the agent stands a good chance of success.