Tom Lappin: Disregard for Tevez at Old Trafford is a real mystery

Published on Friday 15 May 2009 23:11

IT DOESN'T add up. As Manchester United have the opportunity to celebrate their 18th league title in style by swatting aside a tired Arsenal at lunchtime today, the lingering saga of Carlos Tevez provides an intriguing side issue.

In football terms, it looks something of a no-brainer. His attitude is exemplary, certainly compared to the histrionics of a certain Portuguese colleague, or the languid indifference of a Bulgarian team-mate. Not that Tevez should be dismissed as an earnest toiler. He is plainly a world-class forward of rare vision and technique. Sir Alex Ferguson's breathtakingly insolent recent description of him as a "trier" was rendered even more risible by the quick intelligence and skill of his equaliser against Wigan on Wednesday, three minutes after coming off the bench.

All of which adds further fog to the mystery of why United don't secure his signature on a contract. Ferguson used to value these kinds of qualities, skill married to eagerness, invention combined with energy. It's why he esteems players like Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney rather more highly than maverick geniuses like Cristiano Ronaldo.

United's stance of late has been to plead poverty. Or at least to suggest that Tevez is overpriced. This is all relative though. Tevez's asking price amounts to about a quarter of the sum that United, or the Glazers (which, dismayingly to United traditionalists, amounts to the same thing) are spending on interest payments on their overdraft.

It's more pertinent to look at what else United could get for their money. United have a great squad, but are unlikely to spend the summer in complacent inactivity while rivals fortify their rosters. If they are to go shopping, are they really going to find better value than Tevez?

It's not unreasonable to assume that Ferguson retains the final say over United's signing policy. If so, the notion that United don't value Tevez at the additional 22million it would cost to secure him seems a little strange considering the price tags being attached to forwards who are hardly on a different plane to the Argentina international. The strong rumour that United are prepared to spend 60million on Franck Ribery certainly seems illogical. Tevez has spent three seasons in the Premier League, knows and relishes its challenges, is robust and talented enough to excel in England, and yet United seem ready to gamble three times his asking price on a Frenchman whose ability to cope with English football is untested and questionable, even if Zinedine Zidane rates him so highly.

The Ribery deal may depend on Ronaldo taking his pram and toys off to Madrid, in which case Tevez's signature could be secured with some of the surplus cash from that deal.

Then again, perhaps it isn't really just about the money. United's stance, and specifically Ferguson's, suggests there is more to this issue than meets the eye. It would be understandable if there was continued concern about the still-murky nature of Tevez's "ownership", with Kia Joorabchian's involvement in all negotiations. United will be aware that West Ham's single season with Tevez on their books ended up costing them considerably more than the 32million that is mooted if United extend their initial 10million two-year lease into an extended deal. There may be problems ahead if the Premier League opts to conduct a more detailed examination of Joorabchian's involvement. United wield considerably more clout than West Ham, but this could still represent an area of concern. The most generous interpretation is to infer that Ferguson simply doesn't see Tevez as fitting into his tactical plans. That "trier" epithet implied that Tevez's energy and buzzing-around approach could be counter-productive.

It shouldn't be beyond Ferguson to harness those attributes to a team pattern though. If Ronaldo is to be missing next season, it would certainly be desirable to have a forward with Tevez's directness and aggression to take some of the burden off Wayne Rooney.

It might be too late by now. Tevez is reported to be "humiliated" by his manager's lack of love, and both his agent and his owner Joorabchian will be inclined to take him to a club that will meet his valuation and sense of worth.

They haven't ruled out Manchester City, i.e. they haven't ruled out large amounts of cash. Tevez is reportedly unwilling to join United's immediate rivals Liverpool, and it's difficult to see Rafael Benitez persuading him. Chelsea might be an option, but Spain seems a more probable destination. Florentino Perez, likely to secure another spell as Real Madrid president, will want to round up another magnificent collection of galacticos to impress the Bernabeu mob. If he brings his customary sidekick, the Argentine aesthete Jorge Valdano, along as director of football, Tevez would seem a perfect acquisition.

That would be a pity, because in his three years in England, Tevez has been one of the Premier league's most compelling footballers, a player with a tangible passion for the game and a flair that is exceeded only by a handful of players in the world.

Contrary to the cautious submissions of West Ham's lawyers, his skills kept the London team in the Premier League in 2007. Despite Ferguson's damning with faint praise, he has made a significant contribution to United's campaign this season, not least that deft flick at the JJB on Wednesday night. The likelihood is that this afternoon will see his last Old Trafford appearance in a United shirt. The fans will show they value him, even if the manager and the financiers don't.