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He was billed as Liverpool's marquee signing this summer, but the club sold fewer than 1,000 Mario Balotelli replica shirts on the day he signed for the Merseyside club for £16m from AC Milan last month.
The Reds' CEO, Ian Ayre, revealed the figure at the Soccerex conference in Manchester today, speaking at a seminar.
Maybe the Liverpool supporters are just taking bit of time to warm to the maverick Italian striker.
A replica Reds' shirt costs £49.99, and to get 'Balotelli 45' branded across the back is an extra £15.
In contrast, it had been reported that Real Madrid shifted 345,000 James Rodriguez shirts in the 48 hours after his £63m move from Monaco, but manufacturers adidas said that those figures were exagerrated.
Show all 18 1 /18Mario Balotelli: The funniest stories Mario Balotelli: The funniest stories Bully When a youngster asked for an autograph outside Manchester City's training ground, Balotelli demanded to know why the boy was playing truant. After the child revealed he was being bullied, Balotelli drove the boy and his mother to the school in question so he could tackle the bully himself. He demanded to see the headmaster to make him aware of the issue and then mediated between the two boys to resolve the problem. A source said: 'Mario feels strongly about bullying.'
Read the full story here.
Mario Balotelli: The funniest stories Generosity After gambling at Manchester's 235 Casino, Balotelli walked away with winnings of £25,000. Feeling generous, he gave a homeless man 'with ginger dreadlocks and a beard' £1,000.
Click here for the full story. GETTY IMAGES
Mario Balotelli: The funniest stories Parking fines During his time in Manchester, Balotelli racked up £10,000 in parking fines and had his white Maserati impounded 27 times. Once he was pulled over by the police who wanted to enquire why he had £5,000 in cash on his front seat. Balotelli reorted: 'Because I am rich.'
Click here for the full story. Getty Images
Mario Balotelli: The funniest stories Bored Getty Images
Mario Balotelli: The funniest stories Racism Balotelli explained prior to Euro 2012 how he would deal with racists: 'I will not accept racism at all. It's unacceptable. If someone throws a banana at me in the street, I will go to jail, because I will kill them.'
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Mario Balotelli: The funniest stories Selfie In a pre-season friendly for AC Milan, two fans ran onto the pitch to demand a selfie with the striker. Rather than shy away like most would in such a situation, Balotelli was more than happy to oblige.
Twitter/@NA_B52
Mario Balotelli: The funniest stories Ironing Mario isn't a one trick pony. He can also iron, dance and read - all at the same time.
Click here to watch. INSTAGRAM
Mario Balotelli: The funniest stories Chicken For reasons never fully explained, Balotelli once sported a chicken hat. Thankfully it was a trend that never caught on.
Getty Images; Sky News
Mario Balotelli: The funniest stories Fireworks A bright spark at the body that co-ordinates firework safety material enlisted Balotelli soon after it was reported that some had been set off in the bathroom of his Manchester mansion.
Mario Balotelli: The funniest stories Why always me? The day those stories emerged, Balotelli scored for City in the Manchester derby, giving him the perfect opportunity to reveal *that* t-shirt.
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Mario Balotelli: The funniest stories The Queen The Queen may be wary of Balotelli's return to England. During the World Cup, he said he wanted a kiss from Her Royal Highness should Italy do England a favour by beating Costa Rica. Thankfully for everyone involved, they didn't.
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Mario Balotelli: The funniest stories Grass During a Europa League defeat to Dynamo Kiev, Balotelli had to be substituted in the 57th minute with his face swelling up. It emerged afterwards that the Italian is allergic to some types of grass.
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Mario Balotelli: The funniest stories Interruptions During an Inter Milan press conference to announce the appointment of Andrea Stramaccioni as interim-manager, Balotelli interrupted proceedings to say hello. He was enjoying a day-off from Manchester City at the time.
Click here to watch.
Mario Balotelli: The funniest stories Celebrations Balotelli's naked torso was to be one of the defining images of Euro 2012 - but he's not overly keen on celebrating goals. 'I don't celebrate goals, I'm just doing my job,' he infamously said. 'Does a postman celebrate when he delivered the mail?'
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Mario Balotelli: The funniest stories Pranks Balotelli has always appeared to be well loved by his team-mates. Perhaps it's the pranks he plays, like this one on Edin Dzeko.
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Mario Balotelli: The funniest stories Prison Balotelli was reportedly questioned by police in Italy when he was found taking a look around the grounds of a women's prison in Brescia. Apparently he simply fancied having a look.
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Mario Balotelli: The funniest stories Mancini Balotelli's relationship with former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini was a complicated one. It has been described as a father-and-son type relationship - only the sort where they fight each other during training.
EAMONN & JAMES CLARKE
Mario Balotelli: The funniest stories Shopping Balotelli is known to enjoy a spot of shopping - however he doesn't always get what's on the list. He was reportedly sent by his mum to pick up a few household items before returning with a giant trampoline, two Vespa scooters and a Scalextric set.
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Balotelli made his Liverpool debut against Tottenham in the 3-0 win last month, and is expected to make his Anfield bow for the club against Aston Villa on Saturday.
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