The festive season has brought mixed fortunes for those who have donned the red shirt at Anfield. On the positive front, Divock Origi has finally escaped his extended purgatory at AC Milan, with the Italian giants confirming a mutual contract termination.
The Belgian forward, who collected €4 million annually in wages without playing since December 2023, will become a free agent in January and can finally seek a fresh start away from San Siro. However, that silver lining for one Liverpool alumnus was overshadowed by devastating news from France, where Takumi Minamino’s participation in next summer’s World Cup has been thrown into serious doubt.
The Japanese winger suffered a catastrophic anterior cruciate ligament tear in AS Monaco’s French Cup victory over Auxerre on Sunday, an injury that typically requires six to nine months of recovery—leaving him virtually no chance of being fit for the tournament in North America. And there now seems to be more news regarding ex-Red men.
Italian outlet Tuttosport Argentine giants River Plate have emerged as surprise contenders to sign former Liverpool man Mario Balotelli, with manager Marcelo Gallardo reportedly interested in bringing the free agent to Buenos Aires for the 2026 season.
The 35-year-old forward has been without a club since parting ways with Genoa in the summer. Since leaving Genoa, Balotelli has maintained his fitness by training at the CUS facility in Brescia with Carpenedolo and his personal trainer, clinging to hopes that an opportunity in Serie A would materialize during the January transfer window. However, with Italian clubs remaining silent, the veteran has been forced to consider alternatives abroad – making Argentina’s Primera División an intriguing possibility.
Should the move to River materialize, Argentina would become Balotelli’s seventh international experience in a career defined by constant transfers. Beyond England and Italy, the forward has plied his trade in France (Nice and Marseille), Switzerland (FC Sion), and Turkey (Adana Demirspor).
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