January’s transfer window slammed shut at 11pm on Thursday night, with the exit of an Italian striker being the talking point of a relatively quiet month of City business.
Balotelli’s switch from the Etihad Stadium to the San Siro was the most rumoured and discussed transfer of the window, with the deal only completed on the final day of January.
Ghanaian youngster Godsway Donyoh did join the club from the Right to Dream Academy on the final day of the window, but he immediately joined Djurgårdens on loan for the rest of 2013 and is thought as ‘one for the future’.
Roberto Mancini repeatedly ruled out any big-money acquisitions throughout the month but that did nothing to dissuade journalists from drawing up a multi-million pound shopping list that proved to be little more than a worldwide exercise in creative writing.
Some linked names carried over from the summer speculation, including Edinson Cavani and Falcao who both remain at Napoli and Atletico Madrid until the summer at least, despite columns of ink touting them with moves to Manchester.
David Villa, Fernando Llorente and Neymar was the other rumoured exotic imports but nothing came to fruition, leaving the stage set for John Guidetti to make his pitch for that fourth striker slot.
Elsewhere, Malaga playmaker Isco was repeatedly mentioned as an option for the Premier League champions but it was perhaps all agent talk, as the 20-year old agreed a new deal with the La Liga club, including an eye-watering £35m buy-out clause.
Premier League talents, such as Theo Walcott, Christian Benteke and Ryan Shawcross were also mentioned but City will go with what they have in the race for the 2012/13 Premier League crown.
Full list of rumoured January transfers
Maquinhos (Roma)
Omar Abdulrahman (Al-Ain)
Edinson Cavani (Napoli)
Christian Benteke (Aston Villa)
Asmir Begovic (Stoke City)
Neymar (Santos)
Nathan Redmond (Birmingham City)
Isco (Malaga)
Jack Butland (Birmingham City)
Will Hughes (Derby County)
Hervin Ongenda (PSG)
Quintero (Athletico Nacional)
Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund)
Neven Subotic (Borussia Dortmund)
Stevan Jovetic (Fiorentina)
Luis Suarez (Liverpool)
Rom Taison (Metalist Kharkiv)
Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
Benat Extebarria (Real Betis)
Fabio Coentrao (Real Madrid)
Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao)
Radamel Falcao (Atletico Madrid)
Victor Wanyama (Celtic)
Ryan Shawcross (Stoke City)
Theo Walcott (Arsenal)
Wesley Sneijder (Inter)
Pedro Obiang (Sampdoria)
