da bet7k： Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is hopeful that the deal to bring Aston Villa's James Milner to the club will be finalised in the next couple of days.

da bwin： The 24-year-old England international is expected to head to Eastlands, with Stephen Ireland leaving the Citizens to join Villa as part of a deal worth a reported £24million.

Mancini told reporters:"I hope we can close it either today or tomorrow.

"I think that Milner is a good player, an English player which is important. I think that Milner can play in different positions.

"We have today and tomorrow to close the deal."

Meanwhile, Mancini is confident that recent signing Mario Balotelli will prove to be a success in England following his arrival from Internazionale.

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The 20-year-old forward has gained a reputation for being hard to handle, but Mancini added:"All of us are said to be bad boys when we are young, but I have worked with Mario before and he is a normal person.

"He is young player, only 20 years old, who can do a lot in the Premier League. He has all the qualities needed to become a fantastic player."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email