Manchester City close to selling Italy striker Mario Balotelli to Serie A's AC Milan in deal worth £22m Talks between senior figures from Milan and City are understood to have taken place on Monday, with the Italians receiving encouragement from City that a deal could be agreed for the controversial Italy forward. There were suggestions late on Monday night that Juventus could also be interested in the striker, although it is believed that the Turin club are not serious rivals for his signature. With Balotelli absent from the group of players who boarded a train in Stockport on Monday afternoon in order to travel to London for Tuesday night's Premier League fixture with Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road, rumours emerged in Manchester that the striker had taken a flight to Italy in a private jet . City sources later insisted that Balotelli had joined up with Roberto Mancini's squad, but the 22-year-old is unlikely to start tonight's game after struggling with a virus. Milan have been reluctant to meet City's £24 million valuation but they believe progress has now been made, though, and are determined to complete a deal before deadline day on Thursday. Meanwhile, City are becoming increasingly concerned by captain Vincent Kompany's susceptibility to calf injuries with the defender facing another three weeks out following his latest setback. The loss of Kompany, injured during Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round win at Stoke, has exacerbated a deepening defensive crisis for Mancini, who could be forced to select 18-year-old Karim Rekik alongside Joleon Lescott in City's defence against QPR. With Kompany ruled out and Kolo Touré on international duty with Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations, England defender Lescott is City's only senior centre-half, with Matija Nastasic struggling to overcome strained knee ligaments.