Balotelli becomes latest recruit for moneybags City

Roberto Mancini has predicted Mario Balotelli will become an instant Premier League hit after becoming Manchester City's latest big-money signing.

The 20-year-old has agreed a five-year contract after passing a medical with the Eastlands club today.

Although the deal, estimated at around £22m, was completed too late for Balotelli to be included for tomorrow's opening league game at Tottenham, the new Italy international will be available for the home encounter with Liverpool on August 23.

He can play in a variety of forward positions and will compete for a place with Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor and Roque Santa Cruz in Mancini's vast squad.

Although Balotelli has been involved in plenty of controversial incidents in the past, Mancini has not been put off signing a player he knows well from his days at Inter Milan.

He is convinced the player's muscular style is perfectly suited to the English game.

"Mario is one of the best players of his age in Europe, and I very happy to be working with him again," Mancini told www.mcfc.co.uk.

"His style of play will suit the Premier League, and because he is still so young there is a big chance for him to improve.

"He is a strong and exciting player, and City fans will enjoy watching him."

He follows Jerome Boateng, Yaya Toure, Aleksander Kolarov and David Silva into Eastlands and is one of the major reasons why Mancini has been so happy to discard Craig Bellamy.

City are also hopeful of tying up the transfer of England star James Milner, although with Stephen Ireland's demands for compensation still needing to be sorted out before the midfielder agrees to join Aston Villa, Mancini has already admitted it will be next week before his final planned acquisition reaches a positive conclusion.