THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MANCHESTER, England — Argentina striker Carlos Tevez agreed to join Manchester City on a five-year deal Monday as the wealthy Premier League club continues its bid to become a force in the game.
The 25-year-old Tevez will complete his switch across Manchester from City’s more illustrious neighbour United, where he had previously played on loan, after a medical examination.
Despite last winning a league title in 1968, City has proved an attractive destination for top players since being bought last September by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family.
Tevez will link up in attack with Brazil’s Robinho, who joined for a British record fee of 42.5 million euros (C$68.5 million) last September, and Roque Santa Cruz, who joined last month from Blackburn.
"It is terrific news," City manager Mark Hughes told the club’s website. "Carlos is an international player of the highest class who possesses all the attributes that will help drive this club forward.
"He is not only outstanding technically but he is a reliable goal scorer and someone who will contribute fully to the team ethic. He gives us another exciting, attacking dimension."
Tevez left United last month after his two-year loan deal expired with the English champion and he rebuffed United’s interest in signing him on a permanent deal. Tevez said he felt manager Alex Ferguson had shown him a lack of respect by not playing him often enough.
"I cannot wait to welcome him to City," Hughes said. "This is yet another deal that shows the commitment of the owner Sheikh Mansour to make this club the very best it can possibly be. I am sure our fans will give Carlos an exceptionally warm welcome."
Earlier Monday, Ferguson said Tevez had ignored his phone calls and text messages as he tried to persuade the striker to stay at Old Trafford.
"I half expected Carlos Tevez would be going a long time back," Ferguson said in his first public comments since Tevez rejected United last month. "I think he maybe did a deal around January because I spoke to him and gave him an offer on the night we played Inter Milan (in March) and he never came back to me.
"I phoned him on holiday and he never got back to me and I texted him twice and he never got back to me then either, so obviously he had made his mind up a long time ago. He was a good player and did well for us. But he obviously assessed the situation and wanted to go somewhere else."
United had been willing to pay 25.5 million pounds (C$47.7 million) to sign Tevez to a permanent deal from the group that owned his economic rights.