Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has cooled talk of a bid for AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli by claiming he “must resolve problems with his ego”.
The enigmatic Italy international was once again in the spotlight during an unsuccessful World Cup campaign, which saw him score the winner against England before performing poorly in successive defeats to Costa Rica and Uruguay.
A booking for dissent once again demonstrated the 23-year-old’s petulant streak and he is frequently linked with a move away from the San Siro, 18 months after joining Milan from Manchester City.
A source close to Arsenal told Football Express News they are still monitoring the situation.
De Laurentiis, who saw Napoli lift the Italian Cup last term, told Il Processo di Biscardi he struggles to picture the forward playing in Naples with his current attitude.
He said: “Balotelli in blue? He would have problems in any team. He must resolve problems with his ego.”
Meanwhile, the president heaped praise on his head coach Rafael Benitez, formerly of Liverpool and Chelsea, and expects the Spaniard to be up against better teams in the 2014-15 campaign.
He added: “Benitez has done very well in his first year in Naples.
“Next year will be a very competitive league, there will be the return of Milan, and Fiorentina will be stronger.”