Mario Balotelli held shock talks with Barnsley before deciding against a move to the Championship strugglers.
Balotelli's representatives made contact with Barnsley recently over a possible deal with the striker a free agent since his contract at Brescia was terminated in the summer.
Chien Lee and Paul Conway, co-chairmen at Barnsley, know Balotelli well from his time at Nice where they were part of the hierarchy between 2016 and 2019.
There was interest on both sides in getting a deal done with the understanding that Balotelli would give Barnsley, currently 16th in the Championship, a better chance of avoiding relegation.
But according to The Sun, the longer the discussions went on, Balotelli's interest in playing in England's second tier faded.
A move to South Yorkshire would have seen him return to playing in England for the first time since 2015 after departing Liverpool for a loan spell at AC Milan.
The 30-year-old was left without a club earlier this year when Brescia - his hometown side - cut him loose after he reportedly missed training in June and July.
Balotelli has been on the lookout for a club ever since, with Barnsley being one of the first to show serious interest in signing him.
The striker was pictured earlier this month training with Franciacorta, who play in the Serie D Girone B semi-pro league not far from Brescia.
