West Ham have rejected an approach from Barcelona for striker
Carlos Tevez. The Spanish giants contacted West Ham to ask about
taking the Argentine as cover for their injured striker, Eidur
Gudjohnsen. Tevez, who has failed to score in seven appearances for
West Ham since his arrival on 31 August, was apparently recommended
to Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard by Argentine winger Lionel
Messi.
Tevez - along with Argentine team-mate Javier Mascherano - is owned
by Iranian businessman Kia Joorabchians former company MSI, but is
still expected to move on, probably to Juventus, either in the
January transfer window or at the end of the season. Joorabchian
heads a consortium attempting a takeover at Upton Park and that
deal is still progressing with a deadline set for tomorrow, before
Sundays crunch clash with Arsenal.
Joorabchian was contacted about the possibility of Tevez joining
Barcelona but it is understood he rejected the idea. Icelandic
striker Gudjohnsen injured an ankle in the Catalan sides 2-2
Champions League draw against Chelsea on Tuesday and initially the
injury looked serious enough to seek a replacement. Barca now hope
he will be back within a month. Meanwhile, Gudjohnsen has dismissed
Jose Mourinhos claim that he is a diver.
The striker, who spent six years at Stamford Bridge, mimed being
stabbed in the back before the game but his father, Arnor, said:
"Eidur accepts this is part of the psychology of a big game.
Mourinho tries to get into someones head and wind them up."
so the move to west ham was a sort of advertisement?
