The Mario Balotelli-Manchester City transfer saga is really dragging on a bit now. It’s been rumored for days, if not weeks, that Balotelli is going to re-join his old coach Mancini, and some reports are claiming that he’s already signed for them (His agent denies this, though). All things considered, going to Man City could be a great move for Balotelli, given that he actually starts in the first XI and plays regularly.

Gli Azzurri could hugely benefit from a regularly playing Balotelli. We all know that the boy has two things in spades: talent and an attitude problem. Yet we’ve only seen both occasionally because he so rarely starts for Inter. On Man City, everyone would be able to find out just how consistent he is, and find out if he’s a tremendous striker or more of a super sub. Prandelli’s new meritocracy requires in form players who are actually playing, so this would only help his chances at the Azzurri. His disciplinary issues would also be more transparent; if he makes it through an entire Prem season without a red card, then surely his issues are a thing of the past. Playing in the physical Prem would toughen him up and give us another weapon up front.

Of course, this all assumes that Mancini plans to actually start him; admittedly, this argument inherently implies that Mancini will play him more than Benitez will, which is almost impossible to prove. But it does seem somewhat likely. Man City do have a lot of striking options, but I doubt Mancini would go after a former player with this much verve if he only wanted to let him sit on the bench. Besides, Bellamy doesn’t have the best of relationships with him, Santa Cruz is oft injured and looks to be on his way out, and Adebayor is inconsistent. Mancini plays a 4-3-3 at City, so Balotelli could be flanked by the likes of Tevez while Toure and De Jong shore up the midfield. It’s quite a stacked team, and should he be able to shine there, there’s really no reason why he shouldn’t be called up for us.

It could also be a good move for Inter. No one wants young Italians to leave the peninsula, but if it aids in their progress than maybe it’s for the best. Besides, with a front-line that includes Milito, Eto’, Sneijder, and Pandev, all of whom started regularly last year, it’s hard to see where Balotelli would fit in. Perhaps Benitez plans to use him more than Mourinho did, but if that’s the case, why is this transfer saga still going on? Inter could earn a ton of money from this, and Balotelli would grow as a player. It seems like a win-win.

Balotelli could become the next Zola in the Prem- but only if he has the trust of his coach and regular playing time. It’s impossible to tell how Balotelli would do at Man City given that he’s not even a Citizen (yet, if ever), but it might just work.

Tags: Italy, Man City, World Cup