Roberto Mancini last night revealed that Carlos Tevez has told him he wants to stay at Manchester City. The Argentinian striker, whose two goals yesterday evening took him level with Dimitar Berbatov as the Premier League's leading goalscorer, has been strongly linked with a move to Internazionale.
In December, he put in a transfer request, claiming he needed to spend more time with his family. Mancini succeeded in keeping his captain on board but Tevez was again equivocal about his future in the immediate aftermath of the FA Cup final.
"I spoke to him before and after the Cup final and he said he wants to stay," said the Manchester City manager. "He has got a five-year contract. We had a problem in December but everyone can change their opinion. I think he is an important player and I don't think he would find the same affection at another club that everyone has for him here.
"I have spoken with him many times over the last 20 days and it is my opinion that he will be here next season. I think he will stay here. I don't think he will agree to stay and then change his mind because we will be playing in the Champions League and we will have a better squad because we can buy better players."
Since moving from Old Trafford two years ago in a manner that enraged the Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, Tevez has justified a reported salary of £150,000-a-week with 52 goals in two seasons.
That alone underlines his value to Manchester City. However, having made Tevez the iconic centrepiece of their transfer policy with their 'Welcome to Manchester' poster that so enraged Ferguson, it would be embarrassing were they to lose their captain just as Mancini is preparing the club for Champions League football.
Nevertheless, Tevez's relationship with his manager, whose training methods he once criticised, has long healed. He has stressed his problems with the club are not "football related" but based on a hope that his estranged wife, Vanesa, will bring their two daughters, Florenica and Katie, from Argentina to Italy or Spain.
However, it is doubtful whether any club in Serie A or La Liga, with the possible exception of Real Madrid, could afford him. The Inter president, Massimo Moratti, has denied there has been any direct contract with Tevez's representatives.
Mancini also challenged reports from Germany that Bayern Munich consider that it will be a "formality" to bring Jerome Boateng back to the Bundesliga. Persistent injuries have meant the 22-year-old, one of the stars of Germany's World Cup campaign in South Africa, has played a mere 18 matches since a £12m move from Hamburg last summer.
Despite the fact that Boateng is under contract at Eastlands until 2015, reports in Germany indicate that Bayern Munich believe he will accept a four-year deal to come the Allianz Arena. The club's new manager, Jupp Heynckes, has made strengthening Bayern's defence, which conceded 40 goals last season, a priority. He said yesterday that the move was "well underway", although Bayern would hope to secure Boateng for less than the fee Manchester City paid Hamburg.
Last night, however, Mancini said he would be opposed to a deal. "Jerome is an excellent young defender. I bought him last summer and I very much want him to stay," he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment