The media are abuzz that Man Utd is close to signing Carlos Tevez for 20 million pounds. Its not just the usual rags but the Guardian that is also reporting this story. If that is the case then Man Utd will have top 100 million pounds in transfer money. Its been a busy transfer season with Owen Hargreaves, Nani, Anderson, and Tomas Kuszcak joining the club.
However the man in the midst of it all is treating it as yet another club ready to splash the cash on him. This includes Inter, Real, and now Man Utd. It is flattering to receive so much attention but as Tevez himself says he would not be disappointed if he stayed back at Upton Park.
Two questions for Sir Alex. Yes, I am sure Sir Alex would love to have him but is Tevez worth that much money? He was instrumental in saving West Ham from relegation but is it enough to see a 400% appreciation in his valuation with just one season. How about waiting a couple of seasons more for a more realistic valuation?
A similar case could be made for Benni McCarthy. A 20 goal striker in his first season at Blackburn and he too should be a 20m pound range striker. In his case this would be a 1000% jump in worth. Similarly, Dimitar Berbatov and Obafemi Martins, if we were to apply the same yardstick also did as much for their clubs to warrant a 20m pound valuation.
The second question for Sir Alex. Where is Tevez to fit into the Man Utd attack? At 20m pounds, Tevez and the club don’t expect him to sit on the bench and become a super sub a la Solskjaer who is due to retire in 2008. Rooney will be a lock in a 4-5-1 system if Sir Alex were to play both Carrick and Hargreaves. In a 4-4-2, Tevez will be part of a rotation last season that saw Rooney, Smith, Larsson, Saha, Eagles, and Solsjkaer. Plus, is the club going to jettison Alan Smith or Louis Saha? Saha says that he is ready for first squad duty after his knee surgery and the way he began last season it appeared he was to be RVN’s heir apparent before injuries slowed him down. Giuseppe Rossi has indicated that he sees himself in the first squad after his loan at Parma. His performances have been quite noteworthy also. Nani and Anderson, the summer’s expensive signings would like to see sometime off the bench and become part of the rotation. If Tevez were to be signed then it would open up even more questions for the Man U attack.