Manchester City are finally nearing the finish line with their big-money move for Inter Milan striker Mario Balotell, as the 20-year-old has flown to Manchester for his medical.

Balotelli, who made his senior debut for Italy in Tuesday’s friendly defeat against the Ivory Coast, was reported as wanting a salary of 180, 000 pounds a week, which threatened to throw a wrench into the deal. But he now looks set to sign a five-year deal worth 2.875 million pounds a year, less than three times than what he was said to have demanded.

The 22.5 million pound deal is set to be finalized in the next two days, and it will be followed by the long-awaited completion of a deal for Aston Villa midfielder James Milner, a deal that will see Stephen Ireland move to the Midlands.