Mancini expects Balotelli deal soon

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini revealed on Friday that he expects to sign Italian striker Mario Balotelli from Inter Milan within the next 24 hours.

Reports in England claimed Balotelli was flying to Manchester to have a medical with the Premier League club on Friday and Mancini confirmed that a deal should be done soon after City agreed a fee for the young star.

“We are close with Balotelli. Hopefully today or tomorrow. Mario is on his way here today,” Mancini said at a press conference ahead of Saturday’s Premier League opener at Tottenham.

Balotelli has been a long-term transfer target for Mancini and it is believed he will cost City around 24 million pounds (29 million euros).

The 20-year-old will become City’s fifth big-money signing since the end of last season, taking their spending to over 100 million pounds (121 million pounds) after the arrivals of Jerome Boateng, David Silva, Yaya Toure and Aleksandar Kolarov.

Balotelli, who has Ghanian parents, had endured a stormy spell at Inter.

He fell out with former manager Jose Mourinho last season and was left out of the squad for a European tie against Chelsea.

He also angered fans of the European champions by allowing himself to be photographed in the shirt of their arch rivals AC Milan and was racially abused by Juventus fans during a match in 2009.

Despite all the controversy, Balotelli remains an incredibly gifted player, with pace, power and the ability to score spectacular goals.

While Balotelli seems to be on his way to Eastlands in time for the new season, another of Mancini’s targets, Aston Villa midfielder James Milner, may not get his wish to join City until next week at the earliest.

Mancini’s club have been negotiating with Villa over England international Milner for several weeks and the Italian said: “We need another two or three days for this situation. We need everyone to be happy.”

It is believed City are ready to sell midfielder Stephen Ireland to Villa as part of the deal but the Republic of Ireland international is still discussing a pay-off before agreeing to leave.

Mancini also admitted Wales striker Craig Bellamy’s time at Eastlands is over after accusing him of false statements to the media.

Bellamy has been fined after claiming Mancini was trying to force him out of Eastlands and had stopped speaking to him.

He will not be included in City’s 25-man squad for the coming season, with Fulham and Scottish club Celtic ready to fight it out for his services.

“I have to choose 25. The rest must find another team. Craig is out of the list,” Mancini said.

“Bellamy can talk but it is not important because it is false. Last year Craig played all the games with me. This year I have chosen other players. I am the manager. I make this choice.”

Bellamy, 31, has played for new Fulham manager Mark Hughes several times in his career and also had a loan spell at Celtic five years ago.

Hughes, who has signed the former Liverpool player on three occasions, was quick to declare his admiration for Bellamy, saying: “He was one of the top players in the Premier League and if he comes on the market, and if we’re in the position where we can conclude a deal for Craig Bellamy, then yes we would be very interested.

“At the end of the day the way the situation seems to be forming for Craig that Manchester City won’t use him at Premier League level, so from Craig’s point of view it is very important that he makes the right decision for his career because a wrong decision at this point in time could hurt him.”