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FIFA to untangle the Tevez mess
Last updated at 11:09am on 19.07.07
A sticky situation: Tevez pictured with a plaster on his arm in Manchester last night
West Ham may claim he remains their property, but Carlos Tevez looked every bit a Manchester United player yesterday.
After taking part in his medical, Tevez spoke with some of his new team-mates, including skipper Gary Neville, striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and keeper Ben Foster.
Tevez, who left his Manchester hotel, arrived at United's Carrington training ground for a tour of the impressive facility. While United are awaiting the results of the medical, FIFA have been asked to sort out the mess involving West Ham.
Such is their desire to land Tevez, United are prepared to start the season without him.
On a dramatic day in Asia yesterday, it was revealed by United chief executive David Gill that the club had been unable to unravel the confusion regarding Tevez's contractual status and that the player has now asked the football authorities to make a ruling.
A special meeting of FIFA's Dispute Resolution Chamber will sit in about two weeks to rule on Tevez's claim that he was only on a one-year contract at West Ham last season — with an option to extend that they did not use — or whether he is still tied to Upton Park on a four-year deal, as the London club claim.
It is understood that if FIFA decide in favour of Tevez, the 23-year-old will effectively be a free agent and United will then be able to negotiate with businessman Kia Joorabchian for the release of his "economic rights". Sportsmail believes that is the likely conclusion.
But if West Ham win the legal argument, United will be forced to deal exclusively with their Premiership counterparts in the manner of a regular transfer.
United remain convinced Tevez will eventually be their player — however they have to do the deal. It is, however, far from certain Tevez will be wearing a red shirt when United begin the defence of their title against Reading on August 12.
United chief executive Gill told a press conference in Korea yesterday: "The situation, following a lot of discussions over the last few days involving West Ham, the Premier League and our club solicitor Maurice Watkins, is that the player and West Ham will take the matter to FIFA.
"We are very confident that the issue will be resolved in favour of the player and for him to achieve his and our wish to join United.
"Based on what we have seen and the discussions we have had, we are very confident he will be part of Sir Alex Ferguson's squad next season.
"Maurice Watkins tells us it can take two weeks for the body to form and be arranged and papers on the case to be pulled together.
"We remain confident that by the time the season starts Carlos will at least be training with us at Carrington."
It is understood Tevez and United initially approached the Premier League for a ruling, but they felt their involvement in the case prevented them from guaranteeing their objectivity.
With United having until the August 31 transfer deadline to complete the deal there would appear to be no way that Gill and manager Ferguson will not push it through.
If FIFA conclude that Tevez is essentially a free agent and United can negotiate with Joorabchian, the Premier League will study the deal to ensure their rules on third-party player ownership are not breached.
It is understood United would be most likely to arrange a two-year deal to "loan" the player from Joorabchian — as Liverpool did with Tevez's Argentina team-mate Javier Mascherano — with a buy-out price within the arrangement.
United made the two-hour flight from Tokyo to Seoul yesterday for the second stage of a four-leg tour of the Far East that looks set to test the energy levels of the squad.
Keeper Edwin van der Sar admitted after Tuesday's 2-2 draw with Urawa Reds in Japan that the trip was likely to reap more commercial benefits than football ones and added that many of his team-mates were feeling some jetlag. He added: "We know all about these tours.
"The tours are important for the club's image and we don't have a problem with that."
The Holland No 1 refused to blame the travelling for the blunder that handed Urawa their first goal in Saitama. He said: "He was given space to shoot and the ball swerved one way and then the other. It surprised me."
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