Manchester City may sue if Tevez walks out on club

MANCHESTER CITY will demand compensation totalling Carlos Tevez’ full transfer value from his representatives should their bitter fallout result in the club captain walking away from Eastlands.

City officials have rejected a transfer request from the disgruntled Argentina international and their desire to retain the striker has not altered despite the acrimonious statement on Sunday in which he claimed his relationship “with certain executives and individuals at the club has broken down and is now beyond repair”.

Tevez is expected to report back for training this morning, having been granted a leave of absence by the City manager, Roberto Mancini, on the assumption he would be visiting his family. It is understood he travelled to Tenerife.

However, should he exacerbate the situation by refusing to train or, as has been suggested, quitting the game in order to be closer to his two daughters in Buenos Aires, then City would be entitled to sue for breach of contract.

In that extreme case they would attempt to recoup their losses by suing the investors represented by Kia Joorabchian, the group who owned the former West Ham United and Manchester United player’s “economic rights” and who sold him across the Manchester divide 17 months ago.

There remains bewilderment at Eastlands over the various reasons presented for Tevez’ disillusionment. Homesickness, a problem he dismissed in an interview with the club’s own media last week, his handling by Mancini and his relationship with Garry Cook, the chief executive, plus the football administrator, Brian Marwood, have all been cited as factors in Tevez’ wish to leave. Yet he has played in Manchester for more than three years and, as with all players, has only a business relationship with Cook.

City deny that Tevez has played his last game for the club but it remains to be seen whether the Argentinian will turn up at Carrington today and what Mancini’s stance will be. The City manager has indulged his leading goalscorer, one who has scored 39 goals in 60 games for the club since his defection from Old Trafford, with time off this season.

Guardian Service