Carlos Tevez has said that he was never offered a contract by Manchester United in an interview with Spanish outlet Marca.
The Argentine was on loan at United between 2007 and 2009, during which time he enjoyed great success and was popular amongst the club’s supporters.
United had the option to sign Tevez on a permanent basis at the end of the loan deal for £25 million- similar to the agreement with Radamel Falcao last season .
However, Tevez left United after his loan deal ended, and instead signed for fierce rivals Manchester City immediately after that, in one of English football’s most controversial transfers of recent times.
The details of his exit have been hotly contested ever since. Ferguson suggested that the Argentina international was ‘playing for himself’ in the 2009 Champions’ League final, his last appearance for the club, whilst Tevez, according to the legendary former United boss, said United had not shown enough desire to sign him on a permanent basis.
Now though, Tevez has suggested United did not try to sign him at all:
Nothing happened with Ferguson, it was a normal relationship. I spent two years on loan to United, and in the last year Ferguson told me they were going to pay for me to stay. We reached the Champions League final in Rome and I had no contract on the table, although they had me for a year saying that. Then I went to City and they complained, but I had no option to sign for Manchester [United] and I was free
On an alleged problem with Argentine players adapting to England, Tevez added:
For me it was not difficult [to adapt], notice that the first year I came [to United] and we won the League and the Champions League. The next year, again the League and we reached the [Champions League] final in Rome. Ferguson ended badly with most but as you could see, the adjustment didn’t cost me.
Whilst it would be frustrating if Tevez’ version of events are true, the Argentine ended any fading hope of rekindling his relationship with United fans after he held up a banner reading ‘R.I.P Fergie’ during Manchester City’s Premier League title celebrations in 2012.
It’s a shame that Tevez left the club in such an unsavoury manner, as the Argentine formed a part of one of United’s greatest ever forward lines alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney during his relatively brief time at the club.
