Tevez must ditch his agent to join United

Tevez, who takes on Brazil in the Copa America final in Venezuela tonight, will be put under pressure this week to drop his agent Kia Joorabchian, who claims to own the economic rights of the player, in order for the deal to be cleared by the Premier League.

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But with United flying out today for their Far East tour, the situation is unlikely to be resolved this week.

The player cannot complete his medical as United's club doctors will be in Japan and South Korea, although Ferguson is understandably keen that the complex deal should be sorted out before the start of the season.

United, who fly to Tokyo today before moving on to Seoul and then China next week,are willing to deal with whoever is judged to be the legal owner of the player's registration and economic rights. The club expect Joorabchian to take the case to FIFA, or to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, to assert his rights to do the deal.

United have so far conducted their negotiations with Joorabchian and have agreed terms with the player. But with Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore insisting that only West Ham can receive the transfer fee — not Joorabchian's company MSI — it seems United lawyer Maurice Watkins and chief executive David Gill will have to finalise the deal with West Ham owner Eggert Magnusson.

"We would have no objection to Tevez agreeing a contract and having a medical at Manchester United so long as it has been agreed by West Ham," said a Premier League source. "If that doesn't happen, Tevez won't be going anywhere."

West Ham are willing to deal with United direct and will not hold out for the maximum £20 million fee they might expect, given the controversial circumstances in which they acquired the player for a nominal fee.

Nor will they stand in the way of the striker leaving. West Ham spokesman Mike Lee said: "There is a desire now to find a solution. For this to happen in the near future it has to involve a formal agreement between Manchester United and West Ham which is approved by the Premier League."

The situation will infuriate Joorabchian, who claims that he owns economic rights to the player and is threatening to sue West Ham after the club unilaterally terminated its agreement with MSI after being found guilty of breaking Premier League rules in April.

The Premier League will not allow West Ham to renegotiate their deal with Joorabchian, because the club were only allowed to keep playing Tevez in their vital relegation clashes on the basis that they ended their contract with MSI. The club would risk being charged by the Premier League again for third party influence.

This was the original charge brought against them in April and, although they received a £5.5m fine which most outsiders considered lenient, they would almost certainly be relegated if they breached the rules again. Joorabchian and MSI's investors expect to be compensated for giving up economic rights the company claim they own.

Joorabchian's lawyer, Graham Shear, is understood to have proposed a deal which mirrors the move of Javier Mascherano to Liverpool, whereby MSI were compensated for giving up rights.

However,the Premier League and West Ham will not agree to this, the League believing that it would be tantamount to West Ham reinstating the deal they had with MSI and then terminated.

Manchester United may break the impasse by unilaterally deciding to compensate Joorabchian for the work he has done on the deal, although they will not act without Premier League approval.

Joorabchian's problem increased last week when Brazilian judge Fausto Martin de Sanctis ordered his arrest in Brazil, along with London-based Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky, on allegations of money-laundering. Both deny the charges and say they are politically-motivated.