The latest development, that is following the emergence of AC Milan, Juventus and Paris St. Germain as contenders for his signature, is that Roberto Mancini won’t allow him to leave on loan in January. City had been thought to be in talks with AC Milan over a loan with a view to a permanent move at the end of the season.
The whole saga comes across as Man City trying to push his price up by getting other teams to declare interest publicly in the player. Whether this will work or not remains to be seen. Corinthians lurk in the background and are probably still the most likely destination for the Argentine. Their President Andres Sanchez has said he is confident of securing a cut price deal for the player, but if the Italian giants and PSG join the hunt, they may have to fork out more.
Either way, City will lose him for a smaller fee than that offered by the Brazilians in the summer. Tevez continues to swan around playing more golf than football, collecting a huge pay packet, and set for a big money move either closer to home with his former club Corinthians, or to a bigger club in Juve, Milan or PSG. It is win win for him. For City, they will lose money on him, and it will be a disaster.
Corinthians would probably love to make him a new signing too. It would signal the emergence of Brazil as a major player in the world of football. Recent times have seen Russian, Chinese and American teams making landmark signings; be it Samuel Eto’o, David Beckham or Nicolas Anelka. Brazil has a league which is probably ahead of all of theirs, and for them it would be a significant marker for a landmark name like Tevez to arrive.
For Corinthians in particular it would be a landmark moment. Having just claimed the Championship, they are set to dominate Brazilian football and become a major force. Brazil is about to go from having a collective television rights deal to an individual one. Corinthians should make more than any other team from television rights, and their current shirt sponsorship is the fifth most valuable of any club in the entire world. This is a club going places, with money, and huge potential. Unquestionably they can afford Tevez, and it seems a matter of when rather than if.
There are sure to be more twists and turns in this saga, but one things is for sure; Tevez will be gone from Man City sooner rather than later. And it wouldn’t be a shock to see him back in São Paulo soon.
