Tevez counts cost as City dig in
Carlos Tevez
Manchester City chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak has warned AC Milan they will not allow Carlos Tevez to leave on the cheap just to bring an end to a long-running saga that has so far cost the controversial striker £9.3million.
Although Paris St Germain and Inter Milan have both expressed an interest in signing Tevez, the 27-year-old would prefer to join AC Milan. Yet the seven-time European Cup winners have failed to come up with a suitable offer, their last bid of 25 million euros (£20.9million) turned down two weeks ago as it is believed City want at least £25million the player.
"As things stand, AC Milan is not an option for Carlos Tevez," Khaldoon told the Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National.
"Mr Galliani and his advisors have developed a misplaced sense of confidence from their premature discussions with Carlos Tevez and his advisors. If they want to be a consideration in this transfer window, they would do better to stop congratulating one another and begin to look at how they would meet our terms."
Tevez is presently in Argentina, having returned to South America on November 7, two weeks after he was fined a fortnight's wages for his failure to warm up during City's Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich in September, which had been six before it was reduced on appeal.
It now transpires City stopped paying wages estimated at £200,000-a-week at the end of November and also fined Tevez six weeks wages for gross misconduct over his refusal to return.
That fine is currently the subject of an appeal to the Premier League as Tevez's initial challenge was rejected by Blues directors Marty Edelman and Mohamed al-Mazrouei on January 7.
A final verdict is expected by the end of the month. However, as Tevez also forfeited £6million in loyalty bonuses prior to the Bayern episode at the Allianz Arena due to his previous requests to leave City, his dispute with the Premier League leaders has now cost him the quite staggering sum.
Although it appears highly unlikely, Tevez could return to training with the club he is currently contracted to as it appears Galliani and his Milan colleagues have left Khaldoon unimpressed. He added: "Carlos remains a player with contractual obligations to Manchester City for the next two-and-a-half seasons.
"Unless we receive an offer that we deem appropriate, the terms of his contract will be enforced. Inter Milan and Paris St Germain approached discussions with us in good faith and it is always a positive experience to deal with people with a professional approach."
Press Association
