Former Manchester City midfielder Nigel de Jong wants Mario Balotelli to join him at AC Milan.

The controversial Italian striker has been liked with a move away from the Premier League, with manager Roberto Mancini rumoured to be frustrated by his poor form and off-field distractions.

De Jong left the Etihad Stadium during the summer to join the Serie A giants, and would welcome his former team-mate should he elect to move:

"I have read about Mario coming to Milan in the papers," he is quoted by SkySports.

"Let's see what happens. It is always nice to have great players in the team."

He also defended the striker against criticism for his temperament:

“Balo is great but he must feel good to do his best."

The Dutchman went on to insists he is happy in Milan despite rumours that he was struggling to settle at his new club:

"It took me longer than I expected to settle here but I've only been here for two months,

"Every game I try to do better. Everything is new for me here, the coach is looking for the best game plan and I have to adapt.

“Recent results show that we are on the right track with the 4-3-3.

"I like Italian football even if the stadiums are empty."