Fiorentina and Parma are stepping up negotiations to sign Mario Balotelli, who is a free agent after his Olympique Marseille spell.
The centre-forward turns 29 in August and is back on the market after just six months at Marseille, where he scored a creditable eight goals in 15 games.
A return to Italy seems to be on the cards, his first since the Milan loan from Liverpool ended in June 2016.
According to SportMediaset, Fiorentina received the all-clear from both President Rocco Commisso and Coach Vincenzo Montella to proceed with talks.
The only issue is getting SuperMario to lower his €4m salary demands, which are also behind the failure to seal a deal with Parma.
The Ducali are still trying and had another meeting with his agents, but it seems as if the Viola are better placed to satisfy his requirements.
