Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto'o says team-mate Mario Balotelli needs to 'sort some things out in his head' ahead of a reported move to Manchester City this week.
City boss Roberto Mancini is expected to bid somewhere in the region of 25 million pounds for the 19-year-old Ghanaian-born Italian international, and Inter boss Rafael Benitez has conceded he is willing to part with his young striker for the right price.
Eto'o had strong words for his young team-mate on the eve of the trade, saying Balotelli needed to improve his attitude and temperament if he is to realise his potential.
"Anybody who has trained with him will tell you that he is one of the biggest young talents, if not the biggest young talent, in Europe," Eto'o said.
"He has the potential to go on and be one of the best players in the world but he must sort some things out in his head."
"The older players at Inter Milan have always tried to advise him. I am not sure how successfully but, if he is to be a success and not waste his career he must listen to the players at Manchester City."
Eto'o says Balotelli must be willing to defer to experience, something the young striker resisted during his time at the San Siro.
"If you look at some senior players at Manchester City like Emmanuel Adebayor, the Toure brothers, Carlos Tevez and many more, you can see that there is many people for him to learn from," he said.
"But you can't teach somebody who just doesn't want to learn."
"With the infrastructure Manchester City have he has the chance to be the best player in the world. But, at this point, it can still go either way for him."
"If he listens and calms down I fear for any defender that has to meet him. If he doesn’t then I fear for his future in football."
Eto'o also admitted there would be some within Inter who would harbour a grudge against the departing striker.
"There are some people in Italy who would like to see him fail because of the trouble he has caused and his attitude in the past," he said.
"But I would love to see him succeed because I think he is really a good kid who just needs to grow up."
"The Manchester City coach and players will play a big part in what path he takes but ultimately he must choose his own path."
Balotelli's transfer is expected to be finalised this week.