Ferguson reveals United open talks with Tevez over permanent deal

By Ian Ladyman for the Daily Mail
Updated: 12:55 EST, 10 December 2008

Sir Alex Ferguson has claimed that Manchester United have opened talks with Carlos Tevez about a permanent contract at Old Trafford.

Tevez's future at the club he joined on a two-year loan deal at the start of last season has been placed in doubt as United have prevaricated over offering the forward a long-term stay.

Tevez has also been frustrated by a lack of first team action this season. His start against Aalborg in the Champions League tonight will be only his 13th of the season.

But today United manager Ferguson revealed: 'It's not as if we've been short on negotiations, there have been plenty of negotiations and I think that we all know that sometimes it can take a long time.

Permanent deal: Ferguson claims United have opened talks with Tevez about extending his stay at Old Trafford

'David Gill, our chief executive, has been talking to his agent and therefore it's best left with David because he's good at that.

'We're used to this over the years and we're all used to it. You just have to be patient.'

Tevez's frustrations were perhaps best summed up last week when he scored four times in United's 5-3 defeat of Blackburn Rovers in the Carling Cup but then found himself back on the substitutes' bench for the weekend meeting with Sunderland in the Barclays Premier League.

He is only playing tonight because United have already qualified for the next stage of the Champions League and Ferguson wants to rest players ahead of Saturday's league game at Tottenham.  

'It's not difficult because when you have a squad of players, everyone gets their share of games and the important thing is that Carlos has made a great contribution,' claimed Ferguson.

'He's started a few games. We're halfway through the season and by the end of the season, you'll see how many games he's actually participated in and I think that contribution he's making at the moment has been very important to us. There isn't one player that's played all the games.

'They've all had minutes on the clock and some of them have spent time on the bench and some of them haven't been involved at all in various games and that's exactly what happens these days with the modern use of squad rotation.'