| By Nicholas Spiller
Carlos Tevez is at it again. As the January mid-season transfer period begins, speculation and stories will pile up about the ferocious striker from Argentina. As has been the case with every team that he has played for, Tevez’s relationship with the manager and club has deteriorated to the point that he must move on. For now though, without a football team, he plays golf.
The problems began a full calendar year ago when Carlos Tevez expressed a desire to return to his homeland in order to be nearer to his family. Being the captain and highest paid player on the world’s highest paying team was not enough for the homesick star. It all seemed a bit odd, especially given that the player had requested an increase of his wages only a few weeks prior. Manchester City was able to quell the problems, but not for long. Rampant transfer speculation filled the air all summer long with numerous clubs vying for the feisty striker. Manchester City was reported to have set a minimum asking price of 30 million pounds, more than $50 million! Although he was never transferred his intentions became clear. Just like he did with Corinthians in 2005, just like he did with West Ham in 2007, and just like he did again with Manchester United in 2009, Tevez was going to kick and scream until he found a club to better suit him. Further aggression was fuelled by the fact that big spenders, Manchester City, had already lined up his replacements. Edin Dzeko was brought in at the start of the year, and fellow Argentinean, Sergio Aguero came in the summer. Young Mario Balotelli had arrived the prior summer and was also pushing for playing time. With their striker force becoming rather crowded, Tevez saw fewer minutes and had to give up the captain’s armband to Vincent Kompany. Tensions reached a climax during a Champions’ League match against Bayern Munich in September. Refusing to enter the match as a substitute, Carlos Tevez was publicly lambasted by Roberto Mancini, the club’s manager. He stated that Tevez was finished in Manchester and would never make an appearance again for the club. To this day, the player has not featured and looks to be moved elsewhere by the month’s end. The main suitors at this time are AC Milan and Corinthians, his former club in Brazil. Both clubs are willing to front up big money for the player, but how much? Tevez hasn’t played for the better part of 6 months and has repeatedly been a problem at every team he has played for. He is an exceptional talent who gives his all on the pitch, but his off-field antics will raise concerns for any prospective buyer. Manchester City may have to drop their asking price considerably for a deal to be completed. They really have no choice but to sell him since the drama has reached a ridiculous level. His price will only go down from here on if he isn’t sold quickly. City’s only hope to recoup money is for a bidding war to enfold between the buyers. AC Milan and Corinthians seem to lead the chase, but various other clubs may be interested such as Juventus, Inter Milan, and Tottenham. The asking price is very high but an injury to a key player may bring more clubs into the mix. I expect this transfer to encompass the whole of January as Manchester City waits for the best deal. We will be hearing numerous stories about who may be interested and for how much money. So why is everyone after this egomaniac? Watch and learn in the video below. Let’s hope Tevez does find a team and gets back to playing football rather than golf. Nicholas Spiller is a freelance soccer writer and can be reached at: nrspiller@gmail.com |