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Mario Balotelli: AC Milan agree deal to sign Manchester City striker

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments515

Mario Balotelli Ac Milan

AC Milan have agreed a deal to sign Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli on a four-and-a-half-year contract, the Italian club have confirmed.

City manager Roberto Mancini said on Tuesday that Balotelli could complete his move after a medical on Wednesday.

"Both clubs are talking about him," said Mancini. "Maybe tomorrow [Wednesday] they can close [the deal]."

The clubs are believed to have agreed a fee of 22m euros (£19m), rising to 25m euros (£22m) with add-ons.

"We love Mario, but he had this big chance to go back to Italy," added Mancini. "Milan started to talk to Manchester City in the last two days and they are very close."

The Italy international had travelled with City to London for their Premier League game against Queens Park Rangers, which ended 0-0, on Tuesday evening, but did not feature in the squad after Milan director Umberto Gandini confirmed a deal had been struck hours before kick-off.

Gandini said on Twitter:external-link "Transfer agreement for Balotelli signed with Manchester City. Medical is tomorrow [Wednesday] in Milan, then personal terms until 2017 will be signed."

Manchester City signed Balotelli for £24m in 2010 with the striker scoring 20 Premier League goals for the club.

Balotelli's departure comes weeks after he was involved in a training ground altercation with Mancini.

When Noel Gallagher met Mario Balotelli

That was the last in a series of controversies during his time with the Premier League champions.

In his first season at Manchester City he scored 10 goals in 28 appearances, but was also sent off twice - against West Bromwich Albion and Dynamo Kiev.

The 2011-12 season was arguably his most productive as he scored 20 goals in 40 appearances, and he provided the crucial assist for Sergio Aguero to score the title-clinching goal against QPR in May last year.

However, he still struggled with discipline on the pitch, picking up 11 yellow cards and he was also sent off in Premier League games against Liverpool and Arsenal, the latter prompting Mancini to suggest he would be willing to sell the striker.

Balotelli impressed for Italy at Euro 2012, notably scoring twice in the semi-final win against Germany.

However, he failed to build on that when he returned to domestic action with Manchester City this season and found himself behind Aguero, Carlos Tevez and Edin Dzeko.

In total, he made 20 appearances during the current campaign, 12 of those from the bench, and scored three goals, the last of which came in a 2-0 victory at Wigan on 28 November.

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515 comments

  • Comment posted by U15070253, at 17:02 29 Jan 2013

    Not necessarily a done deal - could easily fail medical on grounds of clinical insanity

  • Comment posted by U15306072, at 17:06 29 Jan 2013

    Over rated. Will never suceed with his attitude. Why always you Mario? Because you're an idiot.

  • Comment posted by U15458951, at 16:53 29 Jan 2013

    i think i speak for most when i say i will miss his off the field antics much more than his on the field talent.

  • Comment posted by U15059924, at 16:54 29 Jan 2013

    Lol at lazy journalists who will have to go back to writing about football.

  • Comment posted by Isitonlyme, at 17:43 29 Jan 2013

    City are lucky someone else is willing to take him on

    Occassional hints of greatness but followed too many times by blatant stupidity.

    Wish him well though.

  • Comment posted by Dave, at 16:53 29 Jan 2013

    I'll miss him, complete nutter but one of the characters of the league.

  • Comment posted by Edin-Nth, at 17:48 29 Jan 2013

    Respect to Roberto Mancini for managing to offload.

    ManU fan.

  • Comment posted by U14620703, at 19:57 29 Jan 2013

    310.

    Renzo_23

    Balotelli in my eyes i the only player capable of being alongside Messi and Ronaldo.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Should've gone to Specsavers mate.

  • Comment posted by U15537630, at 18:45 29 Jan 2013

    217 Big john the Red

    I do agree with your comment, but will add one name to your list of latins.
    Pablo Zabaleta.
    This guy has all the mental attributes that Balotelli needs to become a great footballer.I feel It's him thats turned around Tevez this season, and in doing so, has relegated Mario to fourth choice striker.

  • Comment posted by U14620703, at 19:23 29 Jan 2013

    Overrated, overhyped, overpaid but thankfully no longer over here. Petulant, temperamental, childish, spoilt, idiotic, selfish, delusional clown. More suited to the circus. Spent more time in the hairdresser than on the pitch. Personified everything that is wrong with the modern game. Average player, below average individual, above average salary. Good riddance, and take your stupid hair with you.

  • Comment posted by U15595819, at 16:54 29 Jan 2013

    City are better off without him.

  • Comment posted by Parvis, at 20:45 29 Jan 2013

    Mario going for a medical? Let's just hope it doesn't include a brain scan!

  • Comment posted by U15476608, at 20:35 29 Jan 2013

    Does david Platt even work at city??? Only yesterday he was saying he was going nowhere. Not the first time he's not in the loop. Bye Mario

  • Comment posted by dribbler, at 20:03 29 Jan 2013

    Glad to see the back of him, bet most City fans are too - an overrated liability, disruptive influence, immature. Talent needs to be harnessed to a degree of self-control, stamping and sulking is not the best way to fulfil one's promise. To be honest, I can't see what the fuss was all about. Eastlands must be breathing a collective sigh of relief .... (not much) fun while it lasted?

  • Comment posted by stringerbell, at 19:46 29 Jan 2013

    Are Milan mental?

  • Comment posted by mikeb, at 18:54 29 Jan 2013

    To 229 Gary,
    You are correct in what you posted apart from one thing,this league is full of cheats from every club and every nationality,until or unless the ridiculous and un deserved amounts of money floating about is stopped it will never change,and as a realist it never will! Sad inditement on society when people support the behaviour by buying the product and feeding this disgrace.

  • Comment posted by U15036827, at 16:57 29 Jan 2013

    He may have been over-rated, and the best game in his time at Man City was for Germany against Italy, but at least he bought some life and character to what is becoming the sterile, boring personna of the non-de-script Premier League player.

    I hope he does well at AC.

  • Comment posted by U15356796, at 21:42 29 Jan 2013

    As a Man Utd fan im gutted, he is a comical player with a ridiculous attitude with absolutely no professionalism and can be bad for Man Citys dressing room. Man city will improve from now on with this departure.

  • Comment posted by U2989010, at 18:21 29 Jan 2013

    @202 Hope The Guy ..Breaks a leg..an never plays again !!

    Wish you .. would stop .. trolling!!

  • Comment posted by Major Tom, at 18:09 29 Jan 2013

    Following on from 163 Rontomon.....

    I did love the way that TV companies pixelated his number plate when he was leaving the training ground after the bust-up with Mancini just in case we might identify his car.

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