Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli reportedly wants to challenge American rapper Jay-Z to a car race.

The Italy international is believed to have asked UK musician Tinchy Stryder, with whom he worked on a T-shirt design earlier this year, to get the music mogul's phone number.

"When I first met him, he said to me, 'I heard you know Jay-Z, have you got his number?" The Metro quotes Stryder as saying.

"I said, 'No I haven't' and he said, 'Well the next time you see him, tell him I want to race him.' Mario had just bought a new car and said, 'if Jay-Z's got a faster car then he'll race him.' I'm not sure if Jay-Z even drives himself anymore."

Meanwhile, Balotelli is planning to build a new home in Italy with pregnant girlfriend Raffaella Fico.