Javier Pastore and Mario Balotelli, two stars from Italy’s Serie A, have been linked to Major League Soccer in recent weeks, setting the backdrop for Taylor Twellman’s discussion with Gabriele Marcotti on "Banter.”
As for Pastore, an attacking midfielder who’s been at AS Roma since 2018, Marcotti sounded less confident about the move. Pastore, 30, has 29 caps for Argentina’s national team and arrived in Italy after a lengthy stint at Paris Saint-Germain.
“I think MLS would have to take him for a very small transfer fee or on a free, and he would need to get, I think, a long-term contract in exchange for less money,” Marcotti said. “Personally, I’m not sure there’s value, unless you got a manager who says, ‘Look, I know him, I’ve worked with him, I can make this happen.’ He is a transformational player if you can get the best Pastore.”
Regarding Balotelli, he moved to Brescia ahead of the 2019-20 season and has since scored five goals through 19 matches. The mercurial striker has earned 36 caps for Italy’s national team, with previous stops at Inter Milan, Liverpool, Manchester City and others.
“It’s the old story that if you can get him at the right club and you can get him motivated and happy and create the right environment around him,” Marcotti said, “then maybe he can go back and be the player we thought he was going to be 10 years ago. If you can’t, then you’ve got yourselves a problem.”
For more from Marcotti and Twellman on these MLS rumors and the transfer market writ large, check out the above clip.
