West Ham United have been linked with an extraordinary move for Mario Balotelli this month.
The former Liverpool and Manchester City striker is being lined up for a move this month as the Hammers prepare a contingency plan in case Marko Arnautovic decides to leave the club.
talkSPORT revealed on Friday afternoon the 29-year-old would not be in the squad to face Bournemouth on Saturday as a move to the Chinese Super League looms.
According to reports, the striker was due to be on the bench at the Vitality Stadium but will now not even be in the stadium.
As rumours about replacement continue to swirl, Balotelli’s name is the latest to be linked with a move to the East End.
According to Italian news outlet TMW, boss Manuel Pellegrini has personally enquired about the availability of the Nice striker this month.
The 28-year-old is also reportedly wanted by Genoa this month, who are themselves concerned about losing their star striker.
Krzysztof Piatek (who has been linked with a move to the London Stadium this month) has been linked with a move to AC Milan to ease the loss of Gonzalo Higuain to Chelsea.
