Man Utd eager to complete 'complicated' Tevez deal
Tuesday, 17 July 2007
TOKYO, Jul 16 (AFP): Manchester United are hopeful of sealing the "over-complicated" transfer of Argentina striker Carlos Tevez from West Ham within the next week or so, according to chief executive David Gill.
United, who arrived in Tokyo on the first leg of their four-game Asian tour on Monday, are determined to make Tevez their fourth summer signing following the arrivals of Owen Hargreaves, Nani and Anderson.
He is due to undergo a medical at Old Trafford this week but the transfer has proven to be a problematic one with confusion over who actually owns Tevez, be it West Ham or the sports company MSI, who own the player's economic rights.
The Premier League are determined to see that West Ham and not MSI receive any payment for Tevez and the transfer is currently locked in red tape, but Gill insists that talks are progressing.
"We are working on it, but it is complicated and maybe over-complicated in my humble opinion," Gill told reporters here.
"We are having to deal with four parties -- the player, West Ham, the companies that own Carlos's economic rights and the Premier League -- in an effort to sort everything out.
"The process is on-going as we speak, but Carlos will fly in to undergo his medical some time this week and we will take it from there.
"But we are confident that it can all be concluded over the next week or so."
Tevez's Argentina team-mate Gabriel Heinze has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford and bitter rivals Liverpool are leading the chase for the former Paris St Germain defender.
However, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson insists that speculation tipping Heinze with a move may be wide of the mark, with little word from the player over whether he will see out the final two years of his Old Trafford contract.
"The situation with Heinze is quite clear in that his agent is adamant that the player wants to move on," said Ferguson.
"We aren't too sure if that's the case, but we have not received any concrete offer from another club.
"There is clearly some momentum regarding the player's next move, but there is nothing to report at the present time and he isn't with us in the Far East because he has been in duty for Argentina at the Copa America."
United, who arrived in Tokyo on the first leg of their four-game Asian tour on Monday, are determined to make Tevez their fourth summer signing following the arrivals of Owen Hargreaves, Nani and Anderson.
He is due to undergo a medical at Old Trafford this week but the transfer has proven to be a problematic one with confusion over who actually owns Tevez, be it West Ham or the sports company MSI, who own the player's economic rights.
The Premier League are determined to see that West Ham and not MSI receive any payment for Tevez and the transfer is currently locked in red tape, but Gill insists that talks are progressing.
"We are working on it, but it is complicated and maybe over-complicated in my humble opinion," Gill told reporters here.
"We are having to deal with four parties -- the player, West Ham, the companies that own Carlos's economic rights and the Premier League -- in an effort to sort everything out.
"The process is on-going as we speak, but Carlos will fly in to undergo his medical some time this week and we will take it from there.
"But we are confident that it can all be concluded over the next week or so."
Tevez's Argentina team-mate Gabriel Heinze has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford and bitter rivals Liverpool are leading the chase for the former Paris St Germain defender.
However, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson insists that speculation tipping Heinze with a move may be wide of the mark, with little word from the player over whether he will see out the final two years of his Old Trafford contract.
"The situation with Heinze is quite clear in that his agent is adamant that the player wants to move on," said Ferguson.
"We aren't too sure if that's the case, but we have not received any concrete offer from another club.
"There is clearly some momentum regarding the player's next move, but there is nothing to report at the present time and he isn't with us in the Far East because he has been in duty for Argentina at the Copa America."