Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini has urged Mario Balotelli to look to Zlatan Ibrahimovic as inspiration to breathe life into his Liverpool career.

The Italy striker has struggled to adapt to life at Anfield and is yet to score in the Premier League since his £16m move from AC Milan in the summer.

Mancini worked with Balotelli at Inter and Manchester City, and the Nerazzurri boss thinks that the striker can improve by looking to the Paris Saint-Germain star.

He told reporters: "Mario would like to emulate Ibrahimovic. But Zlatan has a few more years and has accumulated a degree of experience, quality, class and strength that [Balotelli] is yet to acquire, even though he's been playing for many years.

"Balotelli has that potential and no doubt they were extraordinary together back in the day.

"Mario was so young, now he dwells a bit too much on so many things. I hope and wish for him to become like Ibrahimovic."

Balotelli is suspended for the Reds' visit of Arsenal on Sunday.