MILAN, Jan 30: AC Milan announced on Tuesday that they have reached an agreement with Manchester City to sign Italy’s Mario Balotelli from the English champions.

Balotelli, a boyhood Milan fan, first broke through at rivals Inter Milan and is returning home for a fee media reports have put at 20 million euros ($26.92 million) after a largely frustrating spell with the English champions.

The striker, who scored three times for Italy on their run to the final of Euro 2012, returns to his home country in a bid to relaunch a career that has gradually lost momentum this season. He has scored just once in 14 Premier League appearances, as well as once in the League Cup and once in the Champions League.

Milan director Umberto Gandini confirmed the deal, saying on Twitter: “Transfer agreement for Balotelli signed with Manchester City. Medical is tomorrow in Milan, then personal terms until 2017 will be signed.”Milan, in need of a striker after selling Alexandre Pato to Corinthians, moved for Balotelli after missing out on new Galatasaray forward Didier Drogba.

Balotelli, however, will not be available for Milan’s Champions League last-16 matches against Barcelona in February and March, having already played in the competition for City.

Balotelli’s departure would leave City with only three senior strikers in Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez and Edin Dzeko and could herald a late push from City for a replacement striker in the final days of the transfer window.—Agencies