Mario Balotelli Joins Al-Ittifaq As Marc Guehi Seals Move To Manchester City

Italian striker Mario Balotelli has officially signed with UAE Second Division side Al-Ittifaq on a free transfer, marking the latest chapter in a career that has spanned some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Al-Ittifaq shared a video of Mario Balotelli putting pen to paper, during which the 35-year-old said, “The club has excellent goals and plans, and I hope to help them score as many goals as possible.”

Balotelli has worn the colours of teams such as Manchester City, Liverpool, Inter Milan, and AC Milan. Al-Ittifaq will be the 13th club of his career, with the last ten years alone seeing him move across ten different sides.

His last competitive appearance came on 22 December 2024 for Genoa in a 1-2 Serie A defeat to Napoli. Since his contract with Genoa expired in July 2025, Balotelli has been unattached for six months. He currently has a market value of €500,000.

In other transfer news, England centre-back Marc Guehi has agreed terms with Manchester City, signing a contract that will keep him at the Etihad until 2031. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the 25-year-old will earn more than £300,000 per week.

Romano reported: “Marc Guehi has signed with Manchester City until June 2031, with weekly wages exceeding £300,000! An agreement has been reached between Guehi and Manchester City on a five-and-a-half-year contract, which will see him earn £300,000 per week plus additional clauses. Manchester City are set to officially announce Guehi’s imminent arrival.”

Guehi, who has made 33 appearances for Crystal Palace this season, scoring three goals and providing four assists, will wear shirt number 15 at Manchester City.