Zlatan Ibrahimovic has told Mario Balotelli he can fulfil his ambitions by staying with Inter Milan.

"At the age of 18 I was playing in Sweden while he is at Inter," he stressed.

"He has top-class teammates and the atmosphere is different - here you grow up faster.

"A player only has eight or nine years at the top level - no more than that. I can't imagine myself being at one of the giants at the age of 34.

"The 20-year-old lads these days are fresher, better and more ready to command a first-team place - the future is theirs."