Balotelli set for AC Milan loan move

Mario Balotelli may have played his last game for Manchester City – with manager Roberto Mancini ready to ship him out to AC Milan on loan.

Mancini has finally run out of patience with the striker after his disastrous display in Sunday’s defeat to Manchester United, which saw him subbed early in the second half.

The Italian giants are ready to capitalise in January by offering Balotelli an escape route for the remainder of the season.

Milan had initially expressed an interest in buying Balotelli, whoplayed for their arch-rivals Inter Milan before moving to City, but simply can’t get near the likely £20million asking price.

But with Mancini prepared to offload his fellow Italian, he will be receptive to a loan deal if it leads to a permanent transfer at the end of the season – and sources at Milan suggest that sort of arrangement would suit them just fine.

City were initially reluctant to consider loaning Balotelli out because they wanted to raise funds to buy a replacement by selling, with big-name targets such as Atletico Madrid's Radamel Falcao and Luis Suarez of Liverpool mentioned.

But now the club won't be playing in Europe until next season, there is less of a pressing need for a fourth striker, so Mancini could allow the loan-first deal to ensure he gets funds in the summer to bring in a top-dollar forward.

Balotelli’s agent Mino Raiola though, seems to have different ideas.

Asked on Monday if his client was now history at City, he responded:

“He will be here at City at the end of January. You can ask me the question another four hundred times and it will always be the same answer.”

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Source: DailyMirror