Man City boss Mancini to persuade Tevez to stay on club

LONDON - Manchester City manager-cum-coach Roberto Mancini is expected to hold talks with skipper Carlos Tevez on Friday and try to persuade him to stay on at the club.

Mancini will meet Tevez tomorrow and tell him: You are staying at Manchester City, The Sun reports.

The outspoken Argentine striker had handed in a transfer request last week.

“I have been in Italy, and he has been in Tenerife. But I will meet him on Friday. I won’t speak to him before then. My opinion is that we have started the season, an important season, and he is an important player for us. I will say that he must stay here,” said Mancini.

“It’s my opinion that Carlos will stay with us. But I want to speak with him. He can continue to play for us. I think Carlos has more than three years on his contract, and I hope he continues to play with us and to score goals for us. It is important that we speak because we have some big games coming up this month. But it will be a private conversation,” he added.

Commenting on reports that 26-year-old Tevez and his advisor Kia Joorabchian are allegedly angling for a move to Spain, Mancini insisted: “I think we can change a mind, always. He is an important player who has scored 10 goals. We can change the history of the club and, together, can do good work this year.” (ANI)