Wanting more: Manchester United's Carlos Tevez celebrates
scoringed
Carlos Tevez, dubbed the 'Electric Mouse' by Sir Alex
Ferguson, is putting a permanent move to Manchester
United at risk by demanding pay parity
with Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Talks between United and the Argentina striker's advisers have
stalled because of £120,000-a-week demands from the 24-year-old,
who has repeatedly stated his desire to stay at Old Trafford.
Ferguson and United have agreed a fee of £32million with Tevez's
owners, MSI, £4m of which has already been paid during Tevez's
two-year loan spell at the club.
But personal terms are proving a sticking point, with United
offering £80,000 a week rather than placing him among their highest
earners, including European player of the year Ronaldo and regular
captain Rio Ferdinand.
Tevez, due to arrive back in England today after being allowed
to spend time in Argentina for family reasons, is now allowed to
talk to other interested parties Inter Milan and Real Madrid.
But United are determined they will not be blackmailed into
clinching a deal for the player and Ferguson is not putting
pressure on chief executive David Gill to go 'the extra mile' to
sign him.
'The Tevez situation doesn't concern me long term,' said
Ferguson, who hopes the player's wish to continue at United will
prove an influence in his final decision about accepting United's
terms.
Tevez will not be available for today's FA Cup third-round tie
at Southampton, where Dimitar Berbatov will hope to build on his
winning goal against Middlesbrough on Monday night, following a
slow start to his Old Trafford career.
Berbatov has scored only three Premier League goals since a
record £31m move from Spurs and Ferguson believes the reason for
his struggle is that United's players do not realise how good he is
and are too reluctant to pass to him.
Ferguson said: 'I don't think we are using him enough. He is one
of those players who can take a ball under pressure because he is
so well balanced and has great upper body strength.
'Eastern European players can get their body between the man and
the ball and you can never get it off them.'
Ferguson has ruled out any more January deals after the £17m
signings of young Serbians Zoran Tosic and Adem Ljajic from
Partizan Belgrade.
England midfielder Owen Hargreaves is due have a second
operation on his right knee on January 15 as he tries to cure a
long-standing tendinitis problem.
Former England international Alan Shearer was able to resume his
career after a similar operation and Hargreaves hopes to be fully
fit for next season.