ROBERTO MANCINI has received a categorical assurance from Carlos Tevez that he wants to remain at Manchester City next season after summoning the club’s player of the year for a meeting aimed at addressing his complaints about the Italian’s training methods.

Mancini’s relationship with his leading scorer has been fractious since Tevez gave an unauthorised interview last month in which he said the club should not have sacked Mark Hughes and the players were “not happy” with being asked to take part in double practice sessions.

Manager and player spoke on Thursday – the second time Mancini has summoned him to his office in two weeks – and Tevez was told directly that he needed to set a better example and actually work harder.

Tevez responded favourably but Mancini, still determined to sign Fernando Torres despite City’s failure to qualify for the Champions League, was happy not only to reveal what was said but also to announce there will be an even tougher training regime next season, regardless of the Argentinian’s complaints.

“In the summer I will be changing everything,” Mancini said. “It will be difficult for the players and I’ve told them: ‘Recover well in the summer because next year we will be working harder.’

“I am serious about this. Next season we will be playing Thursday and Sunday, and if we want to improve we have to work harder. We will have to train two times some days.”

Mancini organises a double training session every Tuesday if there is no midweek match but that regime has also seen him clash with Craig Bellamy. The former Inter Milan manager said he would speak to a number of other players before tomorrow’s game at West Ham.

Tevez ended last Tuesday’s one-off session early, complaining he was tired, and his attitude has become a concern even though he has scored 29 goals this season and has been the club’s outstanding player.

“I wanted to speak to Carlos because I wanted to know if he was happy to play here and happy to train two times a day,” Mancini said.

“If he wants to improve and work hard he can be the best player in the world. But he will have to work harder.

“It’s not a joke. Carlos knows this and he said he is happy to stay here next year. He said: ‘I want to win with Manchester City.’ That is important because Carlos is a top player and when you are a top player you must also be an example to the other players and the supporters.”

Mancini’s relationship with Bellamy, despite public pronouncements to the contrary from both sides, is so fraught the chief executive, Garry Cook, visited the player at his house recently to try to heal what has been described as “an uneasy truce”.

Mancini was asked whether he was surprised that Premier League players were so willing to challenge a manager’s authority.

“I think they have a different culture from Italian players. But all players are the same really. They all want to play, they all want to win – and they don’t want to work hard!

“I played for 20 years and I was the same. When I was young I didn’t like to work either but afterwards I realised you can win more if you work hard.”

Asked whether he had demonstrated he was in charge, he replied: “I think so. At first, I think it was difficult for the players because I did change training.

“But I didn’t change everything. It’s summer I will change everything.”

Mancini accepted City’s chances of signing Torres have drastically receded after failing to finish in the top four.

“I don’t know what chance we have. Torres is a fantastic player but it doesn’t depend on us, it depends on him. We will try, but I don’t know what he thinks.”

The club’s chairman, Khaldoon al-Mubarak, strengthened Mancini’s position with a public vote of confidence after the 1-0 defeat to Tottenham.

“If the club had decided to sack me, it’s normal,” Mancini said. “We are all human and we all make mistakes. Every day you make mistakes and I have often made them.

“But when I do make mistakes I try to improve.”