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Manchester City close on deals for Milner and Balotelli

Manchester City are set to complete the signings of James Milner and Mario Balotelli in the next few days, manager Roberto Mancini said on Friday. Milner's protracted move from Aston Villa should go through within "two or three days," Mancini revealed. The England midfielder was named in Villa's squad to face West Ham in their Premier League opener on Saturday. Mancini said a deal to sign Inter Milan striker Balotelli could be completed later on Friday. The 20-year-old has been a long-term transfer target for Mancini and it is believed he will cost City around £24m. The deal would take City's summer spending over the £100m mark after the arrivals of Jerome Boateng, David Silva, Yaya Toure and Aleksandar Kolarov. Balotelli, who has Ghanaian heritage, has scored 28 goals in 86 appearances for Inter since his debut in December 2007. But he fell out with former manager Jose Mourinho last season and angered fans by allowing himself to be photographed in an AC Milan shirt. England midfielder Milner's switch is thought to have been held up by City midfielder Stephen Ireland's demand for a £2m payment to leave Eastlands. City have offered Aston Villa £18m for Milner, 24, with Ireland moving in the opposite direction as part of the deal. But Ireland's current employers are unwilling to pay him the sum he is seeking. Milner has been linked with a move to big-spending City for most of the summer, with former Villa boss Martin O'Neill - before his departure on Monday - admitting he was resigned to losing the player. Mancini said: "We need another two or three days for this situation. We need everyone to be happy." Ireland, 23, is a product of City's academy and made his debut for the club in 2005. But the influx of new players since City's wealthy owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan took over the club in 2009 has seen Ireland drop down the pecking order. The former Republic of Ireland international, who is contracted at Eastlands until the end of the 2013-14 season, made 30 appearances for the club in 2009-10. Former Leeds and Newcastle midfielder Milner joined Villa for £12m in 2008 and has developed into a regular England international since joining the club. Meanwhile, Mancini also revealed that striker Craig Bellamy has been left out of his 25-man squad for the new Premier League season, with Fulham manager Mark Hughes leading the race for his signature. Credit: BBC

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