Nice president Jean Pierre Rivere has revealed one player was key to landing Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli.

Balotelli sealed a free transfer to Nice on deadline day.

"We needed a striker, and we were being offered average strikers that cost a lot of money," Rivere told RTL.

"Balotelli made enquiries through Bodmer. From that moment, I thought that things looked good.

"It is not because we succeeded with Ben Arfa the first time, that we will succeed the second time.

"That would be too easy. We will see."