City: No £35m bid for Balotelli
Published 11:53 20/07/10 By David Anderson
Manchester City refuse to be pressured into signing Mario Balotelli from Inter Milan.
According to claims from Italy, City are reportedly prepared to pay £35million for the teenage striker.
However the Blues have poured cold water on those claims - as well as denying they are interested in Chelsea's Didier Drogba.
City claim they have not made a bid, despite reports from Italy that they have had a £21million bid rejected.
They say boss Roberto Mancini, who brought Balotelli through the ranks at the San Siro when he was Inter boss, is keen on the 19-year-old, but that he is one of a number of striking transfer targets.
City have still not given up on Edin Dzeko, despite Wolfsburg's reluctance to compromise over their asking price, and CEO Garry Cook still appears to be dreaming about signing Fernando Torres, according to Oasis' Noel Gallagher.
City are monitoring Balotelli's position amid reports from Italy that Chelsea have stepped up their interest and say no deal is imminent.
Mancini does want another striker and the club have been quick to shoot down claims by Drogba's agent on France radio that the Italian is after him.
A spokesperson said: "There is no truth in his agent's claims that we want to sign Didier Drogba."
