Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez: ‘Sheikh Mansour said I can leave if I want to’

Carlos Tevez, Manchester City

Related Links

Teams

Players

Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez has revealed that the club’s owner, Sheikh Mansour, has told him he may leave if he wants to.

The Argentina international is continually being linked with a move away from England, with several of Europe’s biggest clubs paying close attention to his situation, and it is also understood that he would like to return to play football in his home nation with Boca Juniors.

Tevez has insisted that his allegiances lie with the club’s owner, rather than with the manager or chief executive Garry Cook, someone he openly dislikes.

The former Manchester United man claims that Mansour told him he just needs to be happy, and that the Arab owner has put the power of a potential transfer solely in Tevez’ hands.

Speaking to The News of the World, Tevez said: “He Mansour signed me, he wants to keep me but, at the same time, he has told me to do whatever I need to do to be happy.

“He has told me, ‘If you want to leave, then you can go’. There is no deadline – it’s down to me.

“They offered me a new contract in December but I didn’t want to extend it.

“At the end of the season they offered me another new deal but at the moment I don’t know whether I will accept it.

“There are options but if I don’t play for Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter or Milan it won’t be a massive void in my life.

“There are no other issues – Manchester is my second home.”

About six months ago, the 27 year-old handed in a transfer request, a decision that appeared to come out of the blue with little light being cast on the situation; however Tevez claims he doesn’t regret the request.

He put all the blame on Garry Cook, City’s chief executive, after he apparently failed to deliver on promises, and also says he does not intend to talk to Cook ever again.

“I have no regrets whatsoever about my transfer request,” he explained. “It was a situation that some people Cook on the board created. They promised something for six months and didn’t deliver.

“So, after six months of promises, they don’t do something – why should I believe them now? I don’t. I will never speak to these people Cook again. I still feel the same way.

“I have principles and I will never speak with them – never. They have tried to speak with me but I will never talk with them. There is no way, it is not possible.

“I deal direct with Sheikh Mansour, no one else. It makes no difference to my future, as they Cook don’t mean anything to me. I won’t have a relationship with them. They live in a different world.

“I stayed in December because of my relationship with the supporters. They respect me. The fans always tell me to stay. I have no problem with them – they are always very respectful.”

Another reason for Tevez reportedly wanting to return home is to be with his daughters and his family as it is well known that they live in Buenos Aires, missing out on a lot of time with their father.

It is a situation that is often brought up whenever the Argentine is linked with a move away from England and he admits that it is still very hard to live without his family.

He continued: “Last December, I really thought about quitting football – I was serious.

“Unless you have children you will never understand what it’s like to be away from them.

“They are growing up so fast, thousands of miles away, and I’m not there to see it.

“It’s hard to come home after a game to an empty house, when I’m upset or nervous, to be without them.

“When Katia injured her hand in February, I wasn’t around to protect them. Those are the moments when I realise how much my family means to me.

“That’s why I will be done with Europe in three years. It’s a huge effort mentally to do it but, at 31, I will be finished in Europe.

“The pressure isn’t the issue but I miss my family and my home life in Argentina too much to be away from them.”