Roberto Mancini urges Mario Balotelli to clean up his act in 2012

Roberto Mancini has called on Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli to improve his off-field behaviour and concentrate on becoming a better player.

The 21-year-old has already scored eight goals in the league this season and has been playing a vital role in helping City mount a title challenge.

But Mancini believes Balotelli, who continues to make the headlines for off-the-field incidents, can still make adjustments to his lifestyle which would help him improve as a player.

“Mario can improve every week and every month,” he said. “He is young and when you are a young player, you improve always.

“I hope the New Year can bring a different way for him and that he can understand if he wants to play well and have a good private life, he should have good behaviour always, not for one week yes and then change for two days.

“Every top player has a good private life and a good behaviour. They are the first in training every day. This is the way it needs to be for him.”

Meanwhile, Mancini denied reports that wantaway City striker Carlos Tevez will be granted a loan move to AC Milan.

The Serie A leaders say they cannot afford to buy Tevez in the January transfer window but Mancini maintains the only way the Argentina international will be allowed to leave the club is on a permanent transfer.

“I hope we can find a good solution for us and Carlos,” said Mancini. “We want Carlos to come back and play football and the best solution for us is to sell him. We can’t let him leave on loan.”

“When Manchester City buy a player, they have to pay a lot of money,” he said. “But when we want to sell them, they have to go on loan. This is not good. It is not correct for the other players.

“Manchester City paid Carlos a lot of money for three years. It is correct that if one club, it could be Milan, Juventus, PSG, Inter, want him, they pay Carlos for his value. This is correct.”