After failing to secure a move away from Manchester City in the summer transfer window, Carlos Tevez, the Argentina striker, has been joined in England by his wife and could settle down at the club if his family situation improves, according to his advisor.
Tevez said in July he wanted to leave City for a country where he could be reunited with his wife, Vanesa, and two daughters, who all moved back to Argentina after struggling to adapt to the British climate and culture.
However, with no club able to meet both City's asking price for Tevez and his wage demands, he is still at the Etihad Stadium and his advisor, Kia Joorabchian, said yesterday the player has managed to convince Vanesa to return to Manchester.
"As Carlos said at the end of the season, professionally he is happy at the club. He is happy in the situation - it was more to do with his family really," Joorabchian told British radio station talkSPORT. "If she [Tevez's wife] manages to settle ... maybe he will settle down and things will be fine."
Tevez was the Premier League's joint-top scorer last season as he helped City finish third and qualify for the Champions League for the first time.
He faces a battle to get back in City's first team, though, with Edin Dzeko scoring six goals in his first three league matches.
Elsewhere, El Hadji Diouf, the Senegal striker, has left Blackburn Rovers after his contract was terminated. Steve Kean, the Blackburn manager, said Diouf's deal was severed by mutual consent on Wednesday, ending the forward's two-and-a-half-year spell at Ewood Park.
The 30-year-old Diouf, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Scottish champions Rangers, fell out with Kean after returning late for pre-season training.
Queens Park Rangers have completed the loan signing of Southampton's Jason Puncheon until January 2 with a view to making the deal permanent for £1 million (Dh5.98m).
QPR paid a loan fee of £200,000 to secure the services of the 25-year-old winger.
Reports emerged yesterday that the last-gasp deal for Puncheon had not been completed before Wednesdau night's transfer deadline but the move has now been confirmed by both parties.