Tevez's next goal: history

Carlos Tevez, Manchester City's new signing, reveals his desire to play a major part in the club's history.

Fans and media jostle for position as Carlos Tevez, centre, arrives at the City of Manchester stadium yesterday. Manchester City signed the Argentine striker, who spent the past two seasons with ManchShow more

MANCHESTER // While Carlos Tevez spoke of his desire to play a major part in Manchester City's history, his unveiling yesterday as the club's latest major signing also gave him the chance to set the record straight. His departure after a two-year loan spell at rivals Manchester United ended acrimoniously, with Sir Alex Ferguson claiming the striker ignored his efforts to sign a new contract to stay at Old Trafford.

But Tevez, 25, denied that was the case, claiming he felt unwanted by United's management. And with City showing the opposite in their pursuit for his signature, he is now desperate to help his new club to success. "City have the ambition to be one of the biggest clubs in the world and this was an easy decision for me to make the move," he said. "I have a coach who wants me and a good fan base and environment around me. The owners have a very challenging project. I am here for that.

"To win the Premier League you need to think about every team, not just think about United. We need to focus on beating every team. "I am here as one more, but I am here to be part of the history of Manchester City. I want to win trophies. "Part of my heart will be with United because of the support from the fans. But I don't think David Gill [United's chief executive] and Sir Alex Ferguson did enough to keep me there.

"I was there for two years and Sir Alex never called or sent any text messages in that time. It doesn't seem that this is the way to treat a player in two years at the club. it doesn't seem there is a line of communication." United's loss is certainly City's gain. Fans greeted him as he arrived at Eastlands yesterday with chants of "Carlos Tevez is a Blue". They know it is a coup to lure the striker from Old Trafford and amid competition from Chelsea.

Mark Hughes, the City manager, believes they have got a bargain, with Tevez costing around £25 million (Dh 149.5m), a seemingly modest sum in today's marketcompared with the £80m United received from Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo. "There is a figure that we have and I think we are significantly under that figure for the value of the player in terms of Carlos," he said. "We know if we are going to compete at the top level we need players like Carlos.

"The guy is a winner. He has the trophies to prove that. He has a real drive and hunger for success. "For us to have a player of his quality is outstanding for everyone. Make no bones about it, we have got one of the best strikers in the world." And the Abu Dhabi-owned City could have two more world-class signings in their squad for the new campaign. Hughes revealed the club were in talks with Arsenal for the striker Emmanuel Adebayor and did not rule out a renewed bid for the Chelsea captain John Terry.

Of the Togo striker he said: "There's been discussions between ourselves and Arsenal. There's a deal to be done possibly but it's not been concluded." And Hughes would also like to have the England captain in his squad. "I have fantastic respect for John Terry, ever since I saw him as a young player when I was at Chelsea as a player myself. I think any manager would covet a player of the type of John Terry.

"We made an offer and Chelsea have a view in that respect. Who knows in the future. We may revisit it." [e-mail]