More on Mario

I feel like I have to write more on Mario Balotelli. His performance on Saturday was so compelling, such an open and complete revelation of character, that one paragraph just doesn't do it justice.

There is always a degree of exaggeration, of overshooting, when discussing new signings. Everyone wants to claim that they were there at the start of something special. I am conscious of this trap.

But: Balotelli's performance was unlike anything I have ever seen from a footballer. And the fact that he won us the game, scoring both of our goals, is just a small part of it. From the very first minute it was one long mad battle, against the laws of the game, against the officials, against both West Brom as a team but also against every single one of their players and supporters.

We all know that the thrill of young players is their fearlessness, their lack of reverence of for traditional footballing etiquette and hierarchies. We experienced this with Shaun Wright-Phillips, and, to a lesser extent, with Micah Richards. But I've never seen a young player with so much contempt for etiquette and hierarchies as from Balotelli. Every dive, step-over and flick was soaked with disdain: even for him to raise an accompanying sneer would have been to make too much of an effort.

I'm not sure yet whether it was Never Mind the Bollocks stretched over twice its original length or Rebel Without A Cause compressed to half but it certainly had the smack of either. And, just like James Dean or Sid Vicious, Balotelli at the Hawthornes was willing to storm in, burn a deep impression on his surroundings and his audience and then be expelled from it all in a quick blaze of violence.

But he will be back, at Stoke City on 27 November.

More on Balotelli

I didn't want to leave it until after the game to write about Mario Balotelli, so I got up early this morning to throw some thoughts together.

The transfer policy this summer has largely been about recruiting young, ambitious, talented players from the continent. Balotelli fits this template, but also exceeds it. He is the Mancini/Marwood approach maximally realised. He is the youngest of our signings, having only turned 20 this week. As a August 1990 boy, he is only three months older than Dedryck Boyata and almost a year younger than Vladimir Weiss.

And then there's the ability. Balotelli is, pace David Silva, the most talented of our summer recruits. He is a potential future Ballon d'Or winner, and I can't remember the last City player I could say that about. (In an alternative universe Kinkladze would have dazzled at Ajax then moved on to Juventus, I guess.) As an athlete he is terrifying (as are more and more of our players), but he marries that imposing natural physique to a technical ability that still eludes, to pluck a name out of the air, Micah Richards. He is a wonderfully clean striker of the ball, has a good first touch and holds the ball up well. Mancini has spoken of his versatility, and I'm sure he'll be used in a range of positions. He could lead the line (in fact he might be a better target man than Adebayor), he could come off the left or the right or even play second striker apparently. I don't think he'll play every game this season but nobody will. He brings options, dynamism and the promise of more to come.

His signing also represents a further buttressing of Mancini's authority at the club. Some might have said that Mancini's exclusion of Craig Bellamy shows a dislike for temperamental players. But signing Balotelli shows that temperament matters much less than loyalty. Balotelli might be a maverick loudmouth but he's a maverick loudmouth will deep and mutual affection for Roberto Mancini. Bellamy - a similar character in some ways - has always been loyal to Mark Hughes, and his relationship with Mancini was predictably poor. By signing Balotelli Mancini has brought in a real loyalist and made clear that pining for the Hughes era is pointless.

Closer to Balotelli

This morning's papers suggest that the various sets of negotiations around a deal for Mario Balotelli are close to completion. To put it crudely, Inter have blinked over the fee and we have blinked over the wages. Ian Herbert's report in The Independent is similar to ones in The Times and The Telegraph. The crux:

A four-year deal for the 19-year-old Balotelli is virtually in place, though, with Inter now looking to raise money to finance the acquisition of Liverpool's Javier Mascherano. Sources in Italy indicated that there had even been a tentative plan to fly Balotelli to Manchester by private jet yesterday and that the deal was about to be signed off. With the salary of €7m (£5.76m) after tax agreed – taking Balotelli close to the initial demands which City had balked at – Mancini's determination to drive through a deal is understood to be based on his belief that the player's youthfulness is accompanied by an utter fearlessness.

Mancini has never forgotten how, as Inter manager, he gave him his debut at a key stage of the club's season in December – at home to Cagliari in a match in which Hernan Crespo was controversially left on the bench. But the striker flourished and maintained his place in the side. Mancini believes this augurs well for the teenager's Premier League prospects. City and Inter were initially £4m apart on valuation – with Inter demanding €30m and Mancini's club ready to pay only €26m. But the club seem to have reached a compromise at €28m.

This accords with news from the Italian press and comments from Balotelli's agent:

“We’ve made important steps forward. I am coming to England tomorrow and we want Manchester City,” revealed Mario Balotelli’s agent...

“The negotiations aren’t finished yet, but we’ve made important steps forward. I am very confident, we hope it can all be closed quickly.

And as I've been writing copying and pasting this very post it has been announced that SuperMario is on his way to City for a medical. Hurrah.

Gazzetta: Balotelli joins MCFC

We're approaching endgame in our next transfer. Gazzetta dello Sport has a story this morning saying that Mario Balotelli has agreed to join MCFC, and that the deal is done.

It reports the deal being tied up on Saturday night, for an initial fee of €30million (£25m), potentially rising to €35m (£29m) based on goals, trophies and so forth. He is on a five year deal of €4m (£3.3m) per year. I don't know if this is gross or net (apparently the Italian press reports salaries after tax). But it's a lot.

The deal ought to be announced today (Tuesday morning at the latest) and on Wednesday he will fly from Inter's base in Philadelphia to Atlanta, where we are due to play Club América on Wednesday night. He could even play against Inter on Saturday night.

'If Inter decide to sell we will be there'

That's Roberto Mancini talking about his interest in Inter's Mario Balotelli. The full quote:

"We are always interested in good players, if Inter decide to sell, we will be there," said the Italian.

"I have no problems. The most important thing is that they are good, so that they go on the pitch and play well."

This declaration of interest accords with what Balotelli's agent Mino Raiola said this week:

"Was there a real offer from City? Yes, there was but it is not for me to say," Balotelli's agent Mino Raiola told Gr Parlamento.

"Mario Balotelli's situation is calm. He is an Inter player. There are no negotiations, hence, he will remain at Inter."

And the comments of Inter transfer supremo Marco Branca:

‘There is also interest from United and City in Balotelli, but it’s very early to say if there will be any business done.

‘He is an Inter player and we have to think about our future.’

I guess this largely hinges on whether Rafael Benítez values Balotelli or not. I suspect he doesn't and so a departure is quite possible. I used to be lukewarm on Balotelli as a potential City player but for some reason I've reversed my opinion. He's clearly a bit of a lunatic but we've always liked mavericks at City and I'd hate to see us line up with a team of just Gary Speeds and Phil Nevilles. Where's the fun in that?

Hamšík, Balotelli, Luiz all linked

I've written before about the 'Boateng plan', and how our long interests would be best served by the recruitment of players who are young, hungry and who would like to win things with City - rather than those players falling under 'the Torres plan.' The last few days have seen transfer rumours suggesting that Mancini and the Player Acquisition Group feel this too. We have been linked with moves for 22 year old Marek Hamšík, 19 year old Mario Balotelli and 23 year old David Luiz.

First Oliver Kay wrote in The Times of Hamšík and Balotelli:

After several weeks of discussions over his transfer strategy with the club’s hierarchy, Roberto Mancini, the City manager, has urged his board to proceed with bids for Hamsik and Balotelli as he looks to reinforce a squad that narrowly missed out on a top-four finish in the Barclays Premier League.

The challenge for Mancini will be in convincing the players that they can fulfil their ambitions with City. after the club’s failure to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Then there was this by Stuart Brennan in the Manchester Evening News regarding Luiz:

The Blues have been tracking the 6ft 2ins Benfica star for some time, and face stiff competition from Real Madrid and Barcelona.

But manager Roberto Mancini has identified the 23-year-old as a major star of the future - and he likes the fact that Luiz, principally a central defender, is also comfortable at left-back and as a defensive midfielder.

These three are all plausible: they fit into the strategy laid out in the Jérôme Boateng transfer - young, talented, playing for a good side in a good foreign league. It's a nice change from the Hughes approach of established Premier League stars, and not just from a novelty perspective either.

To take the three rumours one by one: I haven't seen Hamšík play too much but he's certainly very highly rated. He is a goalscoring midfielder, which is what we need - Gabriele Marcotti has said he could be the new Frank Lampard. I think we might struggle to tempt him though. He will be playing Europa League football with Napoli next season, and apparently could soon agree a new contract. But if he doesn't there is an opening there.

Balotelli is a move that makes sense. He has fallen out with almost everyone at Inter, having enjoyed a warm-enough relationship with Roberto Mancini before Mourinho's arrival. A summer departure is likely. His agent has since denied that he might move to City, but this is a fairly resilient rumour. I'm not very enthusiastic about this move. He's clearly talented, but also troubled. This is not what we need right now. That's not to say that it won't happen, though.

Finally Luiz. He looks very good when I've seen him; he's big, quick, and technically excellent. But if he came to City he would be denying himself Champions League football next season, something he earnt by winning the Liga Sagres this year. Had we got fourth it might just have been plausible. Not anymore though.

Balotelli linked

At the end of Inter's compelling 3-1 defeat of Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, Mario Balotelli stormed off the pitch and threw his shirt to the ground. The last year has seen a cycle of controversies, scandals and fall-outs surrounding Balotelli and the reports today suggest that Tuesday's hysterics will break the camel's back of Mourinho and Moratti's patience, and he will leave Inter in the summer.

Today's Gazzetta reports that he has requested a transfer and will be sold to either Arsenal or City this summer. It certainly makes sense. I'd be surprised if he stayed in Italy, given the abuse he receives around the country, and the unwillingness of Inter to sell him to one of their Serie A rivals. He needs a change of scene. And who better to buy Balotelli than the club managed by the man who gave him his Inter debut? Particularly when that club could afford whatever Massimo Moratti demanded, while being no direct threat to Inter in any 2010/11 competitions? It's clearly plausible.

He's clearly a very talented young player. I'm not sure I'd be too keen on having him though. Our dressing room is difficult as it is, with Craig Bellamy, Carlos Tévez, Emmanuel Adebayor in there and a possible return for Robinho. Throw Balotelli in as well and things will get worse before they get better. It's a story that is worth keeping an eye on this summer.