Brescia are set to terminate Mario Balotelli’s contract after the striker failed to return to training ahead of Serie A’s restart this month, Italian media reported on Saturday.
Balotelli, 29, signed a three-year contract with his hometown club last year after they earned promotion to the top flight for the first time since 2011.
Balotelli has been unsettled for much of his career and has played for Internazionale, Manchester City, Milan, Liverpool, Nice and Marseille.
Sky Sports reported that Balotelli was involved in a row with the Brescia president, Massimo Cellino, after the striker did not return to training when Covid-19 restrictions were eased in the country.
The report said Balotelli was offered a consensual termination, which he refused, and the club then sent a letter to his lawyer saying his contract would be ended.
Balotelli has scored five league goals in 19 appearances this season for a struggling Brescia side who are bottom of the league – nine points from the safety zone with 12 games left.
Serie A was suspended on 9 March due to the coronavirus pandemic and is due to resume on 20 June.