However the 20-year-old, speaking to Sky Sport Italia, is quoted by Corriere della Sera as saying he is unsettled in the north west, although he stopped short of saying he wanted to leave.

"I'm not happy in Manchester, I don't like the city," he said. "Everything's OK with the coach and my team-mates, but the city is not to my taste.

"Do I miss Milan? No, I miss my home, Brescia. I miss my family and friends. I can think of this experience as one of personal growth.

"Will I stay with City until the end of my contract? I don't know, I'm here now, but we'll see.

"AC Milan? It's a great club, maybe one day I'll consider it, maybe even Inter."

Since arriving at City from Inter Milan last summer, Balotelli has courted controversy.

He was sent off at West Brom in November, then against Dynamo Kiev in a last-16 Europa League tie which Mancini branded "stupid".

On more than one occasion the City chief accused Balotelli of not listening to him, and he raised further eyebrows when he accepted the Golden Boy award and declared of the previous winners that the only one who was a "little bit" better than him was Lionel Messi.

He did not turn up for an end-of-season trophy parade - even though he was named man-of-the-match as City defeated Stoke in the FA Cup final at Wembley.

Already this season, Balotelli was pictured showing off a T-shirt of questionable taste, which prompted accusations of glorifying violence, and was hauled off the pitch in the recent friendly against LA Galaxy for trying a disrespectful backheeled goal.