Balotelli set to leave Man City for Milan
Reuters - Tuesday 29 January 2013, 16:24
Mario
Balotelli, whose wacky antics have filled the British newspapers almost
daily in the last two-and-a-half years, is set to return to Italy with
AC Milan after a deal was agreed with Manchester City on Tuesday.
The
Italy striker, a boyhood Milan fan, first broke through at rivals Inter
Milan and is returning home for a fee media reports have put at 20
million euros after a largely frustrating spell with
the English champions.
"Transfer
agreement for Balotelli signed with Manchester City. Medicals tomorrow
in Milan, then personal terms until 2017," Milan director Umberto
Gandini said on Twitter.
The club's TV channel said the same.
City
manager Roberto Mancini, who gave the player his debut at Inter, had
said Balotelli would not be leaving in the January transfer window but
the striker's desire to go back to Italy appears to have won the day.
Balotelli,
who provided the crucial injury-time pass that set up Sergio Aguero for
the dramatic Premier League title-winning goal last May, was not
included in City's squad that drew 0-0 at Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday
and Mancini said he hoped a deal could be concluded on Wednesday.
"Both
clubs are talking about Mario Balotelli. Maybe tomorrow they can close.
I think Mario needs to do a medical. We are very sorry," Mancini told
Sky Sports News.
"We love
Mario, Mario likes the players but I think he had this big chance to
come back in Italy and to play for another top club like Milan.
"I
hope Mario can continue to improve and can show all is well because I
think if he works hard he can continue his growing and can become one of
the best players in Europe."
Tales
of the 22-year-old blowing up his bathroom with fireworks or walking
into a school asking for the toilet have amused British fans but City
supporters have felt shortchanged after he netted just 20 league goals
since his 22 million euro move from Inter.
Mancini
has been left exasperated by his fellow Italian on numerous occasions.
Earlier this month British newspapers published photographs that
appeared to show the pair grappling following a training ground bust-up.
Going
back to Italy will be no walk in the park though for Balotelli, with
Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi recently saying his fifth-placed Serie A
side did not need a "rotten apple" like the combustible forward.
Berlusconi later apologised.
RACIALLY ABUSED
Controversy
also followed Balotelli while at Inter where team-mates once assaulted
him for wearing Milan colours. He also got into trouble for turning up
at a northern Italian prison and asking to look around.
Even the wily Jose Mourinho, Inter's 2010 Champions League-winning coach, labelled him "unmanageable".
Italian
leaders and champions Juventus - whose fans racially abused Balotelli
when he was last in Serie A - were also interested in signing him after
he shone for the national side at Euro 2012, sources close to the talks
told Reuters.
Milan, in need
of a striker after selling Alexandre Pato to Corinthians, moved for
Balotelli after missing out on new Galatasaray forward Didier Drogba.
The
Rossoneri - last Italian champions in 2011 - had a poor start to the
season but have climbed up the table in recent weeks thanks to the goals
of young forward Stephan El Shaarawy who is now likely to partner
Balotelli for club and country.
A Champions League last-16 tie with Barcelona over the next two months also awaits for the seven-times European Cup winners.
Balotelli's
exit could herald a late push from second-placed City for a replacement
striker in the final days of the transfer window with Edin Dzeko,
Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero the Premier League side's only
established front-men.