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Rafael Benitez: 'Mario Balotelli not joining Napoli'

Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli will not be joining Napoli in January, according to head coach Rafael Benitez.

Former Liverpool and current Napoli manager Rafael Benitez has insisted that he has no plans to sign Mario Balotelli during the January transfer window.

The Italian striker only arrived at Anfield from AC Milan in the summer, but he has struggled to find any consistent form on Merseyside and is still without a goal from his nine Premier League outings.

That had resulted in speculation that he could make a swift return to his homeland this winter, but Benitez has ruled his club out of the running.

"Liverpool fans are loyal. If he works in the field then they will support him. Mario coming to us in January, though? There is absolutely nothing to this, it is just a hypothesis that I have never considered," he told Gazzetta dello Sport.

New Inter Milan head coach Roberto Mancini also recently insisted that he had no intention of re-signing the 24-year-old.

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Liverpool's Italian striker Mario Balotelli plays during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at White Hart Lane in London on August 31, 2014
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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool18143145172845
2Arsenal19116238172139
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest1911442619737
4Chelsea19105438231535
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle1995532211132
6Manchester CityMan City199463226631
7Bournemouth198652923630
8Fulham197842825329
9Aston Villa198562831-329
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton196942928127
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1973941281324
12Brentford197393335-224
13West Ham UnitedWest Ham196582335-1223
14Manchester UnitedMan Utd196492126-522
15Crystal Palace194872027-720
16Everton183871524-917
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1944113142-1116
18Ipswich TownIpswich1936101833-1515
19Leicester CityLeicester1935112242-2014
20Southampton1913151239-276


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