MARIO Gone?

http://www.goal.com/en/news/11/transfer-zone/2013/01/29/3710078/-?

I Know its Goal.com so pinch/bucket of salt....


Manchester City have agreed the sale of Mario Balotelli to AC Milan, Goal.com can confirm.

The two clubs reached an agreement over a €20 million (£17.1m) deal that will see the Italy international move to San Siro on a five-year deal.

They released the Adkins story first so fingers crossed if it's true.

Great bit of business by us if we've managed to get £17.1m

And it's on here as well !!!!!

Press Association Sport understands a deal has been agreed for Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli to join AC Milan.

The Serie A team have agreed to pay around £20m for the player, with some of the fee being made up by bonuses.

City have so far made no comment on the matter.

AC Milan's organising director Umberto Gandini has confirmed that the Italian club have agreed a deal to sign Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli on a four-and-a-half year deal.
Former Inter Milan striker Balotelli, 22, will have a medical in Milan on Wednesday before signing his contract.
It is understood the deal for the Italy international is worth €20m, plus bonuses and add-ons.
Manchester City have declined to comment on the news.
Gandini said on Twitter: "Transfer agreement for Balotelli signed with Manchester City. Medical is tomorrow in Milan, then personal terms until 2017 will be signed."

City refusing to comment.

Probably don't want to jinx it. Either that or they want one last performance out of him tonight.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21251291

BBC.....though to be fair....my internet connection is a little retarded.....as I am in Sharjah and 4 hours ahead.

At last...sounds like we'll just about re-coup our fee - with add-ons....not a bad deal around, but let's hope Bobby has Cavanni lined up, as 3 strikers is not enough, as he has said on numerous occasions.

I'll take Cavanni or Falcao, don't mind which...

Topdawg wrote:I'll take Cavanni or Falcao, don't mind which...

Falcao would be superb...but can't see it. Cavanni is the one making all the noises...so maybe that why Bobby agreed to sell......but if we don't buy any replacement come Thursday....it'll be a stupid move, regardless of what some think of him.

City have still not commented, but everyone else has. Including the boss, who says the club are unlikely to replace Mario.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21255946

It leaves Mancini with only three recognised strikers but the manager doubts he will sign a replacement.
"We only have two days and it is difficult to buy a good player in this moment," said Mancini.

But according to that talisman of journalistic excellence, the Star, we may be buying Benteke as a last gasp purchase.

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/295926/Balotelli-out-Benteke-in-/

City boss Roberto Mancini will now step up his bid to land either Atletico Madrid’s Falcao or Napoli’s Edinson Cavani in the summer, while he could even make a shock bid to sign Aston Villa hotshot Christian Benteke before tomorrow’s deadline.

Surely we've got an iron in the fire somewhere. I refuse to believe we're letting a striker go when the other three are temperamental at best. And Benteke? Yeah, he looks the deal at Villa, but let's not forget they are on the cusp of a relegation dogfight and they'll probably prefer to keep hold of him.

Sky are saying David Villa for £15m could be purchased......oh eck!

What, the same David Villa that's supposed to be going to Arsenal in the summer? Interesting...

Now they're reporting we're not, wish the'd make their minds up

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11679/8455357/Manchester-City-understood-not-to-be-chasing-Barcelona-s-David-Villa

I'll be surprised if we get anyone now.

We'll probably end up with Darren Bent

I've heard the Bent rumour - I dunno - I think he would fit in well...he got the right sort of experience (of sitting on the bench:P)

Here's what else I've heard from some bloke at QPR last night...

Falcao is already a done deal (not necsssarily moving this window) to go and join Pep at Bayern.

I think Benteke could be an ok 4th option, but won't set the world on fire, so no for me - and apparently he has Andy Cole syndrome - amongst the great goals he's scoring, he's missing a hatful of good chances too.

Mario stated that he'll do much better in the new jersey!! Pillock

David Villa could be just what we need

I think we need someone in the transfer window. We have been lacking that certain spark all season and Villa could just lift the team out of its complacency.

Disappointed we didnt get Sneijder as well. His wages were high but the fee was relatively small. Wasted at Galatasaray !

Other teams around are strengthening we are doing F all & it will cost us !

DONE DEAL - Mario Balotelli - Man City to AC Milan (£19m)
It's official. Mario Ballotelli is an AC Milan player. The statement on the Rossoneri's website is short, but sweet: "AC Milan announces that it has acquired Manchester City's Mario Balotelli, who has signed a contract until 30 June 2017."

The 22-year-old will wear the number 45 shirt.

Phew!!!

Did you see the scenes in Milan? Huge numbers of fans turned out to welcome Mario and there was reported trouble with riot police on hand with shields and batons.Thank fuck he's their problem now!!!

Have you seen all the Mario puff pieces on the OS? Christ, we had fewer tributes when Big Mal and Nelly died...

Scored in his first game this afternoon.

Granted it was a friendly.

Doesn't look like we're signing anyone this time.... very low profile

Very low chance of overhauling our delightful neighbours as well. Unless we're expecting van Persie to get nobbled in the next game and be out for the rest of the season.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21283730

To think that this 'move' has been on the cards for 2 weeks.....for him to be sold, with 2 days to go of the window......for £5m less than we bought him and then not to bring in a replacement (after Mancini moaned he only had 18 players last week)....is pretty irresponsible IMO.

Yes Guidetti may now be the 4th choice...but he's nowhere near match-fit.

If we would have hung onto him....we may have retrieved or improved on the fee we paid for him....or, we could have sold him for what we just have.

It all seems a little ridiculous....and may ultimately be the downfall of Mancini if we lose one or two strikers to injury and win nothing this season.

Noticed in that footage, it never showed his back-heel antics on the pre-season tour to the states (what a cock).....was that not the start of all the fun and games??

In RMs defence, we all know he's been told no signings can be made until players are sold to free up any money. The fact that it's took close to 2wks for the clown to be finally off our hands isn't Mancinis fault either.
Sure he could and maybe should have had a replacement in place, but he may have missed out on potential targets while waiting or wasn't being held to ramson anymore by other greedy clubs.

Guidetti will hopefully offer us alot more when he's fit than Mario ever did, i'm made up he's finally took his circus away from City once and for all.

Jordan,
Yes he scored, but it was against a made up piss poor team that they beat 10-0...even i'd have probably scored against them

shakencity wrote:
Jordan,
Yes he scored, but it was against a made up piss poor team that they beat 10-0...even i'd have probably scored against them

Just no pleasing people these days.

Shaken. I agree with everything about the circus thing, I really do. But put that to one side....We currently have 3 fit strikers. Aguero is prone to blow-ups and Dzeko isn't giving us anything at the moment. That leaves Tevez, who's scoring record this season is pants.

Guidetti - even Mancini said in his press conference, nowhere near fit.

God forbid Aguero pulls another hamstring and Tevez get's injured...as Dzeko up front on his own fills me with dread.

I'm not sticking up for Mario, as I agree with pretty much of what Brian Reade said below, but City could easily have said to Milan "no, in the summer" and at least have had some kind of cover.

Brian Reade today:

It was minutes after opening time in George Best’s local and he
clutched a half-pint of white wine in one hand and a racing page in the
other.
I was interviewing him after Total Sport magazine had asked 1,000 experts to name Britain’s all-time sporting heroes, and Best had walked it.
“Why
you?” I asked. He took a sip of his wine, scratched his stubble and
said: “Because the real sporting heroes are the mavericks.
“The ones who do the unusual better than anyone else and play with a bit of a glint in their eye.
“But you’ve got to be able to play on the pitch, not just off it.”
That
comment was made in 1995 and is as true today as it was in the late 60s
and early 70s when Best headed a golden generation of mavericks who
floated across mud-heaps with orange balls tied to their white boots,
before nut-megging the keeper and running out of the stadium into a
topless model’s breasts.
Men like Peter Osgood, Frank Worthington,
Rodney Marsh, Stan Bowles, Charlie George and Alan Hudson. Men who knew
they were blessed with great fortune, who felt that being paid to play
football was a privilege. It’s why they loved doing it so much.
And why those, like me, who recall them with an envious smile, cannot
work out how Mario ­Balotelli is being described as a maverick genius
whose exit leaves our game a much duller place.
Surely you have to
do a bit more than score the odd goal with your chest and leave the odd
stud-stamp on legs to get anywhere near the company of Best, Marsh,
Osgood and Co? He had his moments in a Manchester City shirt, but
­generally I’ve seen mailbag-sewing prisoners put more effort into their
work.
Football appeared to be a joyless distraction from wiping out baddies on his Xbox.
Balotelli
will be remembered for letting off fireworks in his house, collecting
pointless red cards, suspensions and parking tickets, writing off sports
cars, throwing a dart at a youth player, missing trophy parades because
he couldn’t be bothered, making his manager look like a drunken uncle
in a fight and starring in a series of urban myths fuelled by celebrity
fawners like Noel Gallagher, which painted him as some anarchic
anti-hero.
But where is the catalogue of great footballing memories?
For a £22million international striker, playing in the most
­expensively-assembled side in Europe, his 20 league goals in
two-and-a-half seasons was a pitiful return. As were his four
sending-offs for petulance, often in crucial games. Ask a City fan what
his greatest asset was and many will reply that the club has never had a
better penalty-taker. Yes they have, Franny Lee. Another star of that
great maverick era.
If you collected all the sweat Lee gave City
you’d be able to float a naval Task Force. The sweat ­Balotelli gave the
club would barely be enough to drown an ant.
In a few years’ time we will look back bemused at that “Why Always Me?” T-shirt, shrug and think “Why All The Fuss?”
Hopefully,
we’ll also recall George Best’s sentiment that “you’ve got to be able
to play on the pitch not just off it” and realise Balotelli’s finest
achievement was showing us how obscenely out-of-touch with their basic
responsibilities some modern footballers have been allowed to become.

I get what you're saying about waiting til summer blue and having him as our 4th striker but knowing our luck they probably wouldn't have wanted him then......and we'd be stuck with him for all eternity . We'll just have to take our chance that the 3-4 strikers we have got can produce the goods for the rest of the season.


"If you collected all the sweat Lee gave City
you’d be able to float a naval Task Force. The sweat ­Balotelli gave the
club would barely be enough to drown an ant"

Quality line but how true

as for penalty takers Elano was up with the best 9 taken 9 scored if my memory is correct.

Oh please - the wages Mario was on - it was extortion on his part. Ricky Lambert could have scored more for us - he's a grafter and Mario wasn't. Not that I'm advocating Ricky Lambert for City - just making a simple comparison. There's a ton of strikers in the Prem who could have done the job for us - I see them week in week out. Mario may be a fine player one day - but he certainly didn't stand out for us. As for penalty takers - Tevez has always done a good job as has Milner and even Aguero.

We should be spending wisely even though we can afford to pay big money - some of the best players in the league have been downright bargains. For me it's all about planning ahead, having good scouts and being a good man manager.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2272575/Gary-Neville-If-Mario-Balotelli-genius-Manchester-City-Hes-unprofessional.html#axzz2Jp5cogFX

A great read from.......yes, Gary Neville. Amazing, I absolutely detested everything about him when he played for the rags, but I think that what he says now as a pundit....most of the time is spot on.