Mario Balotelli heading for Wolverhampton Wanderers?

Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli could move to Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan for the season, according to reports in Italy.

The 26-year-old has been told that he has no immediate future with Jurgen Klopp's Reds side and is searching for regular football with a new club in order to kickstart his career.

Balotelli joined Liverpool from AC Milan in a £16m deal in 2014, making 16 league appearances before being shunted out on loan back to Milan last season, where he scored just once in 20 games.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, who worked with Balotelli at Inter Milan, is thought to have been advising the player on his next career steps and has told him that dropping down to a lower division would be the most sensible move.

That has reportedly alerted second-tier Wolves, who have new, big-spending owners in the form of Chinese conglomerate Fosun International and are being advised in their transfer dealings by Mourinho's agent Jorge Mendes.

Since the takeover, Wolves have brought in the likes of Silvio, Joao Teixeira and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and are thought to be close to big-money moves for Benfica duo Anderson Talisca and Luisao.