• Premier League

Balotelli will make City title contenders - Ancelotti

Soccernet staff
July 29, 2010
Carlo Ancelotti is wary of Mario Balotelli's threat © Getty Images
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Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti believes Mario Balotelli will turn Manchester City into genuine title contenders.

Balotelli, who turns 20 next month, is set to leave Inter for Eastlands in a move rumoured to be worth €35 million. Balotelli has courted controversy on a regular basis during his time in Serie A but, while Ancelotti feels the tabloids could cause problems in England, he expects the striker to be a major success.

"With him, Manchester City will challenge for the title, not just fourth place," Ancelotti told La Stampa. "Mario is a crazy talent. The Premier League is the ideal place for him.

"He'll find Roberto Mancini, the coach who launched his Serie A career, and there is almost no racism to contend with here. No alibis or advice for him anymore, except for one thing: he needs to watch out for the tabloids."

Asked if Inter were doing the right thing by selling the player, Ancelotti said: "Well, €35 million is a tidy sum. There is also too much pressure on young players in Italy, so clubs prefer 'secure' used goods to the uncertainty of the new."

Balotelli is said to have held a goodbye party in Milan and reports suggest the deal could be completed before the end of the week.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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