Newcastle United defender Davide Santon believes fellow Italian youngster Mario Balotelli won't leave Manchester City.

The pair played for Italy U21 together.

He told Calciomercato.com: "I always hear from Mario. For me he will never change, but I say it in a positive way. He's a really nice person, sometimes commits nonsense but then quickly regrets the errors.

"He's a little crazy, but then again he is a real person. And in footballing terms we're talking about a top player ... "