• Premier League

Agent: Balotelli definitely not leaving Man City

ESPN staff
January 22, 2013
Mario Balotelli is staying put?

Mario Balotelli's agent has said Manchester City are not in talks with any club over the sale of the striker and insisted there was no chance that he would leave the Etihad Stadium this month.

Balotelli, 22, is a target for AC Milan, but the Serie A club want the Premier League champions to drop their €37 million asking price for the Italy international.

While City manager Roberto Mancini has denied Balotelli is for sale, it is believed the Premier League champions would let him leave if an appropriate offer came in after reluctantly concluding that he will not realise his potential with them.

But agent Mino Raiola told GR Parlamento radio: "There is no negotiation for Balotelli with any club, no meeting, zero. It seems like a Grimm Brothers fairy tale.

"Manchester City won't sell Mario, let alone loan [him out]. There are zero chances he moves. But, until January 31st, who knows?"

Raiola also denied AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani's claims about the price City had put on Balotelli's head, adding: "City never asked for money because they never offered the player for sale."

Balotelli has dropped down the pecking order to become City's fourth-choice striker this season, and has scored only one league goal. He has not started a game since the Manchester derby defeat on December 9 and was pictured in an apparent training ground bust-up with Mancini three weeks ago.

But since then the City manager has pledged to give his compatriot "another 100 chances" and has used him as a substitute twice.

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