IN BRIEF (Page 22)

Italy

Milan and Juventus look to sign Balotelli

Manchester City's volatile striker, Mario Balotelli, could soon be on his way back to his native Italy with sources familiar with the talks saying AC Milan and Juventus are interested in a deal. The English champion has been talking to the Serie A clubs in the past 24 hours, with Milan widely reported to have offered about 20 million euros ($26.9 million) plus add-ons for the 22-year-old, though this has fallen short of City's price tag. City has not been actively trying to sell Balotelli, who has never been far from the headlines with a series of on and off-field antics, but if he were to leave the club in this month's transfer window it would not be on a loan deal.