Source: Telegraph
Carlos Tevez: Should Manchester United make him stay or let him go?
In all competitions last season Tevez played 38 matches, scoring 19 goals in the process, and played the full 120 minutes of the Champions League final against Chelsea, scoring his kick in the penalty shoot-out. [LNB]A member of United's 'fab four' along with Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Dimitar Berbatov, Tevez has seen his first team playing time reduced this season; relegated to a supporting role from the bench more often than not, throwing into doubt his long term future at the club. [LNB] Related ArticlesFerguson shoots from the hipFerdinand boost for UnitedArsenal craving pedigreeDelicious uncertainty of Champions League semi-finalsHands up if you have O'Shea on your shirtWhat's in store at Emirates...What is his current deal at United?[LNB]United signed Tevez on a complicated two-year loan arrangement from West Ham, with a fee paid each season to the company headed by Kia Joorabchian that retains his economic rights. [LNB]That deal expires at the end of the season meaning United will have to buy him outright or risk seeing him join another club. [LNB]Does he want to stay?[LNB]Beloved by the fans who admire the industrious high energy performances he produces from first minute to last, Tevez has spoken openly about his desire to stay at the club. However, since the turn of the year his statements have become more resigned to a departure. [LNB]'There are many players and they all need to play but I have not played important matches,' he told an Argentinian radio Station this month. [LNB]'As a player I can't permit myself to play one game, but not another. I see it very difficult to stay with Manchester United. That's the reality. You can score three or four goals and not play in the next game. It gets to your head. I need to play.' [LNB]How much would it cost?[LNB]Tevez is valued by Joorabchian at £32 million and that is the price that any other club would have to meet to sign him, though with United having already paid £5 million-a-year for his loan they would only be asked to make up the balance. Because United have no ownership claims on Tevez, should another club buy him they would receive nothing. [LNB]Why haven't United offered him a contract yet?[LNB]Ferguson is an admirer of Tevez but faces the juggling act of accommodating four world class forwards, with Tevez effectively Rooney's understudy. The £30 million signing of Berbatov last summer is the reason Tevez's playing time has dropped, with the manager using him in the cup competitions more than the league, where he has featured just 16 times, nine of those as substitute. [LNB]His typically bustling and committed display against Arsenal this week was his first start in the knock-out stages of the Champions League this season. [LNB]As such, the prospect of spending £22 million on a player who is effectively a reserve may be unpalatable to Ferguson, who could use the money to strengthen elsewhere. [LNB]What are United's options?[LNB]Most supporters would want to see the club sign Tevez permanently but Ferguson – who likes to get his business in the transfer market dealt with in the shortest amount of time possible – has shown a lack of willingness to do so. [LNB]Tevez's future may well be entwined with Ronaldo's. The possibility of the Portuguese finally moving to Real Madrid this summer is great, as is Franck Ribery moving to Old Trafford to replace him. Theoretically that should leave Ferguson with a surplus to add to whatever budget the Glazer family give him to spend and so be able to meet the asking price for Tevez. [LNB]However, the advancing years of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs as well as a lack of depth in defensive cover means Ferguson will be looking to spend in other departments. The devastating impact of Federico Macheda on United's Premier League title defence may have been such that he feels able to let Tevez move on without dramatically weakening his striking options. [LNB]What are Tevez's options?[LNB]Tevez has claimed that he has received 'many offers' from a host of clubs with Real Madrid at the front of the queue. Inter Milan and Manchester City have also asked to be kept informed of developments while most recently Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has been linked with an audacious move for the Argentine. [LNB]
