Mario Balotelli's City odyssey is over as Milan step in

Mario Balotelli's captivating and controversial career at Manchester City is expected to end in the next 24 hours after AC Milan announced a 20 million pounds deal for the striker.The Italian club said last night that the 22 year-old had agreed a 41/2-year contract at the San Siro and shirts with Balotelli's name on were being advertised on their official website.AC Milan's club director, Umberto Gandini, said Balotelli was heading back to Italy today (Wednesday) to complete the formalities of the deal although City were silent on the claim."Transfer agreement for Balotelli signed with Manchester City. Medical is tomorrow in Milan, then personal terms until 2017 will be signed," Gandini said.Milan's move to sign the Italian represents an about-turn given owner Silvio Berlusconi's suggestion earlier in the season - for which he later apologised - that Balotelli was a "rotten apple".Despite Roberto Mancini saying that he would give Balotelli "100 more chances" after their training-ground fight at the beginning of this month, the striker's exit from the Premier League champions has been inevitable for months following a disappointing season and an increasingly fractious relationship with City's manager. His departure will conclude an enthralling, often controversial, sometimes comical, but always entertaining 21/2 years at the Etihad Stadium since his arrival from Inter Milan for 24 million pounds.Once a cult hero with the City fans, not least for his performance in the famous 6-1 win over Manchester United last season, Balotelli has been unable to control a suspect temperament both on and off the pitch, despite countless warnings from his manager, team-mates and board. Whether he is scoring spectacular goals, displaying T-shirts demonstrating the depths of his persecution complex, or fighting off the twin perils of an uncooperative training bib or irate manager, Balotelli has made a habit of dominating the City agenda during their most successful period.There will be a degree of relief at City once a likeable but sadly infuriating and unpredictable influence has vacated the premises. It was hoped after some stirring performances for Italy in Euro 2012 he would return a more mature character. Such hopes were short-lived.He has been unable to replicate his best form - his record of 20 Premier League goals is modest for his price - and there has been no sign of him escaping controversy.Earlier this season he abandoned an appeal to the Premier League against a club fine at the 11th hour, only to find himself in more disciplinary trouble when he was photographed grappling with his manager at the Carrington training ground.Despite some crucial goals in City's title-winning campaign many believe his sending off at Arsenal last season - a game which at the time appeared to spell the end of the club's title hopes - was the catalyst for the triumphant finale as his absence helped rather than hindered the side. Had City not completed their final-day comeback, it is believed Balotelli would have paid the price for his indiscretions last summer.Instead, he was given another chance, Mancini seeming to treat the striker like a wayward son as much as erratic footballer. He was hoping to disprove Jose Mourinho's theory that Balotelli was 'unmanageable' but recently there were stronger hints that even Mancini had had enough.Attention nows shift to how Mancini can fill the void. The Italian believes the attacking prowess of Samir Nasri, David Silva and Yaya Toure playing in a more advanced role will compensate. There are also high hopes for Swedish striker John Guidetti, 20, who has returned after a nine-month absence through injury.