Mario Balotelli says farewell to Milan, heads for Liverpool

Mario Balotelli is heading back to the Premier League.

The Milan striker has agreed on a 16 million pounds (20 million euros) move to Liverpool.

As per reports, the 24-year-old Italian striker has bid farewell to his teammates at the San Siro ahead of his proposed move.

"Today is my last day in Milan and I am going to Liverpool," Sky Italia reported him as saying. 

Balotelli's agent, Mino Raiola, is apparently having a series of meetings with Liverpool representatives to agree personal terms over a deal that would see the striker return to the Premier League after just 18 months in the Serie A.

The former Inter Milan striker joined the Rossoneri from Manchester City for just over 20 million euros last January and went on to score 26 goals in 43 league appearances for Milan.

Man City had paid 30 million euros to Inter, with whom he won three Scudettis and a Champions League title (2010), to acquire his services in 2010. He helped the Eastlands club win the FA Cup in 2011 and the Premier League in 2012, their first top tier title since 1968.

However, there was intense speculation in recent weeks that Milan were open to selling Balotelli after the club finished a disappointing eighth last season and failed to qualify for the Champions League. In fact, Milan also failed to make it to the Europa League, the contienent's second tier competition.

Liverpool, on the look out for a new striker following the sale of Luis Suarez to Barcelona last month, sensed the opportunity having failed to land either Edinson Cavani or Radamel Falcao.

If Balotelli complete a switch to Anfield this week, his Liverpool debut could come in their trip to his former club Manchester City on Monday.

After Suarez, he will represent another challenge for Reds coach Brendan Rodgers. Immensely talented like the Uruguayan, Balotelli also has an innate ability to court trouble much like his predecessor.