Rafa ready to up the ante with Fergie in battle to snatch unhappy Tevez

01 May 2009 01:00
Liverpool are ready to exploit the deadlock in negotiations with Carlos Tevez and Manchester United by making a move to snatch the unhappy striker. [LNB]Tevez has indicated he is looking to move after a season in which he has grown frustrated over his lack of opportunities.[LNB]The 25-year-old revealed last week that there has been interest from abroad - believed to be Real Madrid and Inter Milan - but Liverpool are prepared to offer him the chance to stay in England and avoid uprooting his family. [LNB] Uncertain future: Liverpool are ready to step in and steal the services of the unhappy United striker[LNB]STRIKING DIFFERENCESFergie's frontline fixAfter starting Dimitar Berbatov against Tottenham last Saturday, Sir Alex Ferguson instead put Carlos Tevez in his starting XI against Arsenal four days later.[LNB]The United manager is regularly faced with the enviable dilemma of which of his £30m-rated strikers to play alongside Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo and it is not hard to see why. [LNB]The stats below show that both forwards have contributed more or less equally this season, with the Bulgarian excelling in the league and the Argentine playing a key role in the cup competitions.[LNB]             TEVEZ                 BERBATOV                    PREMIER LEAGUE                25................Games played............... 28[LNB]                3 .........................Goals ........................ 9[LNB]                  CHAMPIONS LEAGUE              8..................Games played................. 7[LNB]              2 .........................Goals ........................ 4[LNB]                             FA CUP               3..................Games played................. 3[LNB]               2 .........................Goals......................... 1[LNB]                         CARLING CUP                6..................Games played................. 0[LNB]               6 .........................Goals ........................ 0[LNB]It would also give Tevez a chance to join Argentina team-mate Javier Mascherano.[LNB]Liverpool would have to pay a transfer fee of about £30million toTevez's management company, similar to the £18m it cost them to resolvethe third-party ownership issues surrounding Mascherano when he movedin 2007. [LNB]Although United were given permission to bring in Tevez on atwo-year loan, costing £10m, that agreement ends in the summer and thePremier League has ruled that any club wishing to sign him must do soon a permanent deal.[LNB]It is United's reluctance to finalise such a deal that has led tothe stand-off, as well as the arrival of Dimitar Berbatov which haslimited Tevez's opportunities. [LNB]The Argentine looked unhappy when he was replaced by Berbatov onWednesday and when asked if he would be at United next season, hereplied: 'It's very difficult to say. I don't know. [LNB]'I know that the fans chant my name and sing the song about themanager signing me. [LNB]'They've always been very good to me. It's emotionalfor me.'[LNB] Martin Samuel: Just come in No 32... the price is too high for United's Tevez Dressing down: Now rivals' changing rooms get the Fergie hairdryer treatmentAgony for Rio: Ferdinand misses United run-in after horror injuryLiverpool defender Carragher set to coach All Stars side in first taste of managementMANCHESTER UNITED FC

Source: Daily_Mail