Cornithians Unable to Increase Tevez Bid

Corinthians confess they may not be able to increase their bid for Carlos Tevez after Sky Sports sources revealed an initial £35million offer has been rejected by Manchester City.

The Brazilian club made the multi-million pound approach, which would be funded through a percentage of a new television rights deal, on Monday in an attempt to re-sign their former striker on a minimum of a four-year contract.

Argentina international Tevez, who is currently on duty at the Copa America, wants to move back to South America at club level in order to be closer to his family and he remains unhappy in Manchester.

He requested a transfer with 'great regret' at the beginning of July, having withdrawn a previous demand last December, but City are understandably unwilling to allow their star forward to leave and Corinthians have confessed they are unable to improve their bid.

The club's president, Andres Sanchez, told the website of Brazilian newspaper Lance when asked about the scenario of City demanding more money: "If they ask this, Tevez will stay."

"If they ask this, Tevez will stay." 

Corinthians president Andres Sanchez on the possibility of an increased bid Quotes of the week

Attraction

Tevez, a 2009 summer signing and City's club captain, had previously been linked with moves to Spain or Italy, where Real Madrid, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus were all thought to be interested.

But the 27-year-old's advisor, Kia Joorabchian, told Sky Sports News earlier on Tuesday that his client was flattered by the bid from Corinthians, with it not requiring too much interpretation to think the Brazilians had been encouraged to make an approach.

On top of his undoubted ability as a footballer, the worldwide marketability of Tevez would be another attraction for Corinthians, and a financial loss for City, as Sanchez acknowledges.

He said: "Twenty to 25 per cent of the TV shares of the next four years would be used to pay City, if they accepted.

"Tevez is a player who has great popular appeal for Corinthians. You can generate sponsorship."

Ransom

City, though, will not be held to ransom when it is considered Tevez, a Corinthians player between January 2005 and August 2006, still has three years left on his contract.

Some reports have suggested City owner Sheikh Mansour and chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak will not alter a valuation of £50million for a player who was the Premier League's joint top scorer last season and helped win the FA Cup.

Whether Corinthians will make a renewed approach and have the resources to match City's asking price remains to be seen.

But City will view their valuation as justified for a player who has scored 52 goals in 86 appearances, with 46 coming in the Premier League to make Tevez the most prolific frontman in England's top flight over the past two years.

City, despite their wealth, will also have in mind the need for value for money amid ongoing speculation they will attempt to activate the £40m release clause in the contract of wantaway Atletico Madrid striker Sergio Aguero.

Tevez Latest.....Wants out of Eastlands

Tevez in happier times at City

Carlos Tevez wants to quit Manchester City. The 27-year-old forward informed the club of his intentions tonight in a short statement that cited a desire to be closer to daughters Katie and Florencia.

So far, City have not responded and attempts to speak with Tevez will be complicated due to his present commitment to Argentina at the Copa America.

"It is with great regret that I have to inform Manchester City of my wish to leave the club," he said.

Tevez has travelled down this path once already, when he expressed a wish to leave in December. On that occasion, he was talked round by manager Roberto Mancini and owner Sheikh Mansour. He ended up completing the season and captaining the team to their FA Cup final triumph over Stoke City, their first trophy success since 1976.

This time will be far harder, if not impossible. Logistics mean Tevez's trusted advisor Kia Joorabchian has to be the immediate point of contact, and his frosty relationship with City chief executive Garry Cook is bound to be a handicap. Just as importantly, Tevez has seemingly left no room for manoeuvre by expanding on his thoughts in such a fulsome manner.

"I would like to state that I have great respect for the club, its supporters and the owner, Sheikh Mansour, who has been nothing other than respectful to me," he continued in his statement. "I hope that the people understand the difficult circumstances I have been living under the past 12 months, in regards to my family.

"Living without my children in Manchester has been incredibly challenging for me. Everything I do, I do for my daughters, Katie and Florencia. I need to be closer to them and to spend more time with them. I need them to be happy because my life is about them now. I need to be in a place where they can adapt.

"Being captain of Manchester City, qualifying for the Champions League, winning the FA Cup and finishing as top scorer last season has made me very proud. I hope that most of the City fans will understand that I have given them my all on the pitch, and that my dedication to the City cause has been 100 per cent on the pitch.

"I hope I have done my bit to help City continue their progress towards their ambition to be champions of England and to advance in the Champions League. I have no doubt that the players and management of City will achieve great success in the future."

Tevez's statement has quickly deflated the bubble of optimism created around Eastlands by the arrival of Gael Clichy from Arsenal earlier in the day. Although the former Manchester United star's performances dipped at the back end of the season, he still finished level with Dimitar Berbatov as the Premier League's leading marksman and would surely have lifted the prize outright had he not been ruled out for a month by a hamstring injury suffered at Liverpool on 11 April.

In total, Tevez has scored 53 goals in 86 appearances for City, emphasising what a key figure he is in Mancini's squad.

Although there is no potential buyer at present, offers are sure to come for one of the world's best players. Whether anyone can meet City's valuation is another matter ,and at a time when the spectre of UEFA's financial fair play rules hangs heavy over the club's transfer dealings, if they did decide to let Tevez leave, they would want to maximise their return on one of their most saleable assets.