Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is hopeful that the deal to bring Aston Villa's James Milner to the club will be finalised in the next couple of days.
The 24-year-old England international is expected to head to Eastlands, with Stephen Ireland leaving the Citizens to join Villa as part of a deal worth a reported £24million.
Mancini told reporters:"I hope we can close it either today or tomorrow.
"I think that Milner is a good player, an English player which is important. I think that Milner can play in different positions.
"We have today and tomorrow to close the deal."
Meanwhile, Mancini is confident that recent signing Mario Balotelli will prove to be a success in England following his arrival from Internazionale.
The 20-year-old forward has gained a reputation for being hard to handle, but Mancini added:"All of us are said to be bad boys when we are young, but I have worked with Mario before and he is a normal person.
"He is young player, only 20 years old, who can do a lot in the Premier League. He has all the qualities needed to become a fantastic player."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
