OPINION
West Ham have been handed a lucky escape as Marseille’s determination to sign Mario Balotelli seems to have caused them to fail in their pursuit of the forward.
Tutto Mercato Web claimed earlier in the month that Manuel Pellegrini had personally enquired about the services of the 28-year-old Nice forward due to Mark Arnautovic being keen on exiting the Hammers.
It was then claimed by Gazetta Dello Sport writer Carlo Laudisa on his personal Twitter account that the Hammers had a launched a late move to get the forward in order to beat Marseille to his signature.
Colpo di scena per #Balotelli. Si fa avanti il #WestHam ed è una candidatura forte che sorpassa il #Marsiglia
— Carlo Laudisa (@carlolaudisa) January 22, 2019
Yet despite the last-gasp effort to see Balotelli head to the London Stadium, it seems the Hammers have avoided making the blunder of welcoming the controversial attacker as it seems Marseille’s pursuit developed further on Tuesday.
According to Sky Sports Italy journalist Gianluca Di Marzo, via his Twitter, Balotelli was now set to have a medical with the French club on Wednesday in order to edge even closer to joining them.
#Balotelli domani a #Marsiglia per le visite mediche #OM @SkySport #calciomercato
— Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) January 22, 2019
Following this development it seems the Hammers have likely missed out by Balotelli by acting too late and it’s a lucky escape they should appreciate.
It would have been a blunder to sign the 28-year-old attacker, even if he scored 26 goals in 38 outings last season, as the last thing the Hammers’ need is a hard to manage personality.
While Balotelli has since matured from his headline-making spell for all the wrong reasons at Man City, he still shows signs of being temperamental and inconsistent with his form.
Just look at the fact he hasn’t scored a goal in is 10 outings this season and there’s no guarantee he would have been among the goals if he had rocked up at the Hammers this month.
Balotelli’s last spell in England was with Liverpool where he managed only four goals in 28 outings and just seem more hassle than he is worth.
Therefore the Hammers have been handed a lucky escape with Balotelli appearing to look destined for Marseille as it would have been a mistake to sign him.