Roberto Mancini admitted he will be disappointed to see Mario Balotelli leave Manchester City for AC Milan but insisted the move is in the best interest of the Italy forward.

Balotelli was missing from English champion City's scoreless Premier League draw away to Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road on Tuesday as his reported $30 million transfer was finalized.

The striker's spell at the Eastlands has been marked by a succession of controversies on and off the pitch, but City manager Mancini insisted his side would miss the erratic player during the final weeks of the season.

"Mario was an important player for us," Mancini said of his fellow Italian. "With Mario we won the Premier League and the FA Cup in two years.

"He's a fantastic player but, for him, this could be an important chance to go back to Italy and play for a big club in Milan. It was a difficult decision because I lost a striker, an important striker, and he could be important in the next 14 games."

(China Daily 01/31/2013 page22)