Fergie: Tevez said he would quit in four years

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that Carlos Tevez wasn’t signed by Manchester United on a permanent deal because he said he was going to quit football in four years’ time.

GettyImagesCarlos Tevez waved goodbye to Man Utd

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Tevez was at Old Trafford for two years on loan, but United chose not to take up the option to keep him and he joined rivals Manchester City.

Since then, the Argentine has gone on to become one of the best players in the Premier League, leading many to question Ferguson’s wisdom over the decision to let him go. However, the canny Scot has revealed the reasons for turning down Tevez, claiming that it would not have been a worthwhile long-term investment.

“Tevez told us he was only going to play for four more years,” Ferguson said. “If we had signed him on a five-year contract knowing that he was going to quit in four, there would have been no re-sale value for us.”

With the £45 million rated Tevez keen to quit City to return to South America to be nearer his family, Ferguson also revealed where he though the striker’s future lies, despite recent interest from Italian side Inter Milan.

“I’m not sure Inter would pay £45 million, especially after he’s said he wants to go back to -Argentina to see his kids. I can see him staying at City,” he added.