Manchester City make final attempt to convince Carlos Tévez to stay
Manchester City will make one final attempt to convince Carlos Tévez to pledge his future to the club by holding talks with the striker by the end of Monday.
City, although growing increasingly resigned to losing their captain following a new offer of £40 million by Corinthians, are anxious to give him every opportunity to remain and lead them into the new season.
Dialogue is ongoing between Brian Marwood, Manchester City’s director of football, and his counterpart Edu, the former Arsenal player, at the Brazilian club, although there have been no formal discussions on how Corinthians would pay a vast sum for them.
City had wanted any fee for Tévez to be paid up front but their approach has softened as the club’s hierarchy have come to recognise that the 27 year-old is sincere in his desire to return to South America and his former club, to be closer to his two children who live with his estranged wife in Argentina.
Roberto Mancini is anxious that the saga be brought to an end so he and his squad can concentrate fully on City’s first Champions League campaign and an attempt at securing a first top-flight domestic title since 1968.
The manager and City executives are ready to trigger a £38 million release clause in Sergio Agüero’s contract with Atletico Madrid as a replacement for the man for whom they paid around £30 million when he left Old Trafford two years ago.
First, however, Tévez will be contacted personally, something that can now be done easier and quicker because Argentina were knocked out of the Copa America by Uruguay on penalties on Saturday night.
No other club have made an offer for Tévez but if he is to go to Corinthians the matter must sorted out fast because the Brazilian transfer window closes on Wednesday.
Vincent Kompany, the defender lined up to wear the captain’s armband should Tévez insist that there is no way back for him at the club, says he would like the attacker to stay but maintains that even if he does depart his side will continue to develop.
“He’s a great player but players come and go, it happens in football,” he said, after City beat Club America 2-0 in the first of three games as competitors in the Herbalife World Football Challenge.
“The team is bigger than any player. Whether that’s me or Carlos or any player who leaves we’ll keep moving forward. That’s what we’ve always done. We’ve had good players leaving in previous seasons and we’ve always gone forward.
“He’s still a City player for now so I think respect is due but we’ve had great players, like Robinho and others who have moved on from this club. With them it’s great, but without them we find a solution.
“Last season, players got injured and even without them on the team we still moved forward but as long as he’s my team-mate, I will defend and support him. That’s what we do here.”
That show of camaraderie aside, however, Kompany is happy to indicate that in Edin Dzeko there is already someone around who can indeed help City move on.
The Bosnian who cost £27 million in January endured a disappointing start to his Premier League career but Kompany says of him: “He moved at the most difficult part of the season, but he was a part of what we achieved at the end of the season. But now he’ll be more comfortable, he’ll be more accustomed to playing with the players around him. I can see him having a massive impact for us.”
Mancini revealed he will be one of those to talk to Tévez, and the Italian also dismissed the condemnation of him by Arsène Wenger, who said his pursuit of Samir Nasri was “disrespectful and out of order”.
“I will probably speak to him but not right now because he is probably more upset than Arsene!” he said.
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