In hindsight, the summer of 2014 proved to be a real turning point in recent Liverpool history.

Having just come so close to winning a surprise Premier League title, the Reds were well-placed to kick on and become a force in English and European football once again.

Talisman Luis Suarez may have been sold to Barcelona, but Liverpool still had plenty of talent at their disposal and headed into the transfer market armed with the promise of Champions League football for prospective new signings.

With a groundswell of support behind him, manager Brendan Rodgers should have used the summer to build the base of a team who could lead Liverpool into the future.

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Instead, Rodgers signed a handful of duds and was booted out within 18 months, replaced by a certain Jurgen Klopp.

One of the biggest failures of that doomed transfer window was enigmatic striker Mario Balotelli.

Immediately after signing Balotelli, Rodgers already seemed to know he had made a big error.

Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Balotelli was never going to replace Suarez for Rodgers.

The two strikers are like chalk and cheese in terms of application and work ethic.

Still, with Balotelli costing just £16m and only 24 at the time, there’s an argument that he was worth the gamble.

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When asked by Sky Sports for his immediate reaction to the signing before a game against Man City in late August 2014, though, Rodgers did not seem fully convinced, revealing he’d spent more than three hours privately going over what was expected of Balotelli at Liverpool.

“Most players I always like to sit down and look in their eye and see the honesty and humility that they have,” the manager explained when asked what convinced him to ‘take the risk’ on Balotelli.

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“I think when I sat with him I spent a bit of time with him, about three-and-a-half hours, just talking through [how] Liverpool is a massive club and it’s a different club, a family club with strong family values and behaviour is very, very important here.”

“But it was also about the football element, I think we can help improve his game, help improve the consistency in his game and he was ready to take on that challenge.

But a real good guy, I’m excited to work with him because that’s the type of talent I like to work with, someone we can improve both as a football player and as a person.”

As well as speaking to Rodgers immediately after Liverpool’s signing of Balotelli was announced, Sky got the opinion of Jamie Carragher on the matter too.

“I think looking at the situation Liverpool were in, one week until the window shuts.

They need a striker and they’re getting the Italian number one striker for £16m,” Carragher said.

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“In terms of business I think it is good business from Liverpool but it does have to be a worry, signing Balotelli, there’s a reason he cost £16m and he’s moved so often in his career already, that is a problem for Liverpool.”

Coming on air after Carragher’s opening salvo, Rodgers appeared to agree with his former player’s assessment.

There’s no doubt he’s at a stage in his career where this might be his last chance at a big club because he needs to settle down, show maturity.”

Ultimately, none of Rodgers words seemed to hit home with Balotelli and he left Liverpool in 2015 having failed to spark at Anfield.