Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli’s agent claims that that he will not be leaving the Premier League club.

The Italian has been heavily linked with a switch to Serie A giants AC Milan in recent weeks, with rumours circulating that manager Roberto Mancini has lost patience with his controversial star.

Despite this, his agent Mino Raiola believes that his client will not be moving club’s this winter:

"Mario Balotelli costs as the Mona Lisa and then in Italy there are no clubs who can afford him," he told SkySports.

This came in response to claims by AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi that a deal was a possibility.

The enigmatic 22-year-old has struggled to break into the City first-team so far this season, with the likes of Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko often preferred.

It’s rumoured that the club’s hierarchy have grown frustrated by his off-field actions and the negative image they reflect on the team.

Balotelli moved to the Etihad Stadium in 2010 for a reported fee of £18m from Inter Milan.

He has shown glimpses of his potential, but has, on the whole, struggled to acclimatise to English football.

The Italian was a key part of his nation’s squad which as runners up to Spain during the 2012 European Championships.