Carlos Tevez
As Manchester City prepare for the final stop on their pre-season tour, the action on the pitch may yet be overshadowed by developments off it.
The Blues jet out to Ireland on Friday for the Dublin Super Cup, kicking off the tournament against an Airtricity XI in the 51,000-capacity Aviva stadium on Saturday, before a date with Roberto Mancini’s former charges, Inter Milan, 24 hours later.
With the £38m deal for Sergio Aguero all but tied up, all the talk surrounding City is likely to revert back to Carlos Tevez.
The wantaway Blues skipper won’t even be in Ireland – he’s been told to report back to training on August 4– but his City future is still mired in uncertainty.
As talented as Tevez undoubtedly is, a £50m price tag and a monstrous pay packet is steadily narrowing the list of potential suitors.
Real Madrid and Barcelona do not appear to be interested and a projected £40m move to Brazilian club Corinthians collapsed at the 11th hour last week.
Inter Milan sporting director Marco Branca has already ruled out the San Siro as a possible destination once.
But with a lack of alternatives, the Nerazzurri again find themselves at the head of the queue.
Branca said earlier this summer: “Tevez is a great player, a great character, but absolutely no.
“His salary means it is out of the question. The market is crazy at the moment and it is hard to compete.
“He is a great player but a move for him is out of the question.
“We have to organise our finances for the financial fair play rules in the next two years.”
But in Dublin, the money men from City and Inter will come face to face for the first time this summer.
Money men
And depending on how keen City are to rid themselves of an unhappy player, Branca could yet change his tune - with the prospect of a sensational swap deal with Inter’s Wesley Sneijder also a possibility.
Tevez’s agent Kia Joorabchian, meanwhile, is publicly staying calm.
“This is Carlos Tevez, one of the best players in the world,” he said.
“We are not overly worried. He wants to leave but is still a City player and we will respect that.
“We’ve just got to wait and see who comes in next for him.”
But behind his poker face, even Joorabchian will know that this weekend represents the best chance for Tevez to get his wish to leave without facing the indignity of returning to Carrington with his tail between his legs.
On the pitch, City’s galaxy of stars should be no match for a representative side from the Irish League.
Their manager, Damien Richardson, has said as much, while a 7-1 mauling by United this time last year is hardly evidence to the contrary.
Inter, on the other hand, will offer a far sterner test and perhaps a glimpse of what City can expect during their first tilt at the Champions League.
Former San Siro managers Rafael Benitez and Leonardo might have done their best to destroy the treble winners Jose Mourinho bequeathed them but Inter aren’t short of world class players, with or without Tevez.
President Massimo Moratti has so far managed to bat away United’s pursuit of Wesley Sneijder to the point where Sir Alex Ferguson said he never had a ‘real interest’ in the Dutchman.
Moratti even turned his nose up at Malaga’s new money – acquired after investment from the Qatari royal family.
Their summer transfer activity has instead centred on two other South Americans, Ricardo Alvarez and Jonathan
City could face Inter when the draw for the Champions League group stages is made in Monaco on August 25.
And with both sides committed to sending their first teams across the Irish sea, Sunday’s Dublin Cup finale will be a early barometer of who is up to the rigours of the biggest club competition in the world.
If nothing else, Mancini will want to avenge a 3-0 defeat to Inter in Baltimore last year.
It won’t be lost on his star-studded squad that the game represents a last chance to make a case for a starting spot at Wembley against United in the Community Shield on August 7.
City fans making the trip to the Emerald Isle may yet get the a first glimpse of Aguero, their new Argentinian idol.
Intriguingly, City’s official squad announcement for the tournament included strikers Mario Balotelli, Edin Dzeko, John Guidetti, Andrea Mancini ‘plus one other’.
All eyes will be on Dublin to see whether Mancini has invited his new best man to be his plus one.
The Blues jet out to Ireland on Friday for the Dublin Super Cup, kicking off the tournament against an Airtricity XI in the 51,000-capacity Aviva stadium on Saturday, before a date with Roberto Mancini’s former charges, Inter Milan, 24 hours later.
With the £38m deal for Sergio Aguero all but tied up, all the talk surrounding City is likely to revert back to Carlos Tevez.
The wantaway Blues skipper won’t even be in Ireland – he’s been told to report back to training on August 4– but his City future is still mired in uncertainty.
As talented as Tevez undoubtedly is, a £50m price tag and a monstrous pay packet is steadily narrowing the list of potential suitors.
Real Madrid and Barcelona do not appear to be interested and a projected £40m move to Brazilian club Corinthians collapsed at the 11th hour last week.
Inter Milan sporting director Marco Branca has already ruled out the San Siro as a possible destination once.
But with a lack of alternatives, the Nerazzurri again find themselves at the head of the queue.
Branca said earlier this summer: “Tevez is a great player, a great character, but absolutely no.
“His salary means it is out of the question. The market is crazy at the moment and it is hard to compete.
“He is a great player but a move for him is out of the question.
“We have to organise our finances for the financial fair play rules in the next two years.”
But in Dublin, the money men from City and Inter will come face to face for the first time this summer.
Money men
And depending on how keen City are to rid themselves of an unhappy player, Branca could yet change his tune - with the prospect of a sensational swap deal with Inter’s Wesley Sneijder also a possibility.
Tevez’s agent Kia Joorabchian, meanwhile, is publicly staying calm.
“This is Carlos Tevez, one of the best players in the world,” he said.
“We are not overly worried. He wants to leave but is still a City player and we will respect that.
“We’ve just got to wait and see who comes in next for him.”
But behind his poker face, even Joorabchian will know that this weekend represents the best chance for Tevez to get his wish to leave without facing the indignity of returning to Carrington with his tail between his legs.
On the pitch, City’s galaxy of stars should be no match for a representative side from the Irish League.
Their manager, Damien Richardson, has said as much, while a 7-1 mauling by United this time last year is hardly evidence to the contrary.
Inter, on the other hand, will offer a far sterner test and perhaps a glimpse of what City can expect during their first tilt at the Champions League.
Former San Siro managers Rafael Benitez and Leonardo might have done their best to destroy the treble winners Jose Mourinho bequeathed them but Inter aren’t short of world class players, with or without Tevez.
President Massimo Moratti has so far managed to bat away United’s pursuit of Wesley Sneijder to the point where Sir Alex Ferguson said he never had a ‘real interest’ in the Dutchman.
Moratti even turned his nose up at Malaga’s new money – acquired after investment from the Qatari royal family.
Their summer transfer activity has instead centred on two other South Americans, Ricardo Alvarez and Jonathan
City could face Inter when the draw for the Champions League group stages is made in Monaco on August 25.
And with both sides committed to sending their first teams across the Irish sea, Sunday’s Dublin Cup finale will be a early barometer of who is up to the rigours of the biggest club competition in the world.
If nothing else, Mancini will want to avenge a 3-0 defeat to Inter in Baltimore last year.
It won’t be lost on his star-studded squad that the game represents a last chance to make a case for a starting spot at Wembley against United in the Community Shield on August 7.
City fans making the trip to the Emerald Isle may yet get the a first glimpse of Aguero, their new Argentinian idol.
Intriguingly, City’s official squad announcement for the tournament included strikers Mario Balotelli, Edin Dzeko, John Guidetti, Andrea Mancini ‘plus one other’.
All eyes will be on Dublin to see whether Mancini has invited his new best man to be his plus one.
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