Fergie: Tevez deal close
Ferguson is building a formidable line-up to defend the Premiership next season
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Monday, 09, Jul 2007 05:27
Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed reports that Manchester United are in talks to sign Carlos Tevez and claims the deal "will be finalised soon".
Reports in the media throughout last week speculated that the Argentinean international was close to agreeing a two-year loan deal that would see him leave West Ham United in favour of Champions League football at Old Trafford.
And Ferguson chose a press conference today to break his silence over the transfer saga that has been buzzing around the Premiership champions for several days now.
"We are in negotiations, which has been well documented," he told the media, who were present to witness the unveiling of Owen Hargreaves and Nani as United players.
"[Club solicitor] Maurice Watkins has been working on it for a month, maybe more, to make sure the deal is perfectly clear and there are no side issues.
"To be honest I thought it would have all been sorted by the weekend just gone. It must be the Premier League that is holding it up.
"From what David [Gill] and Maurice said everything was ready to go. Unless something's being held back from us, I don't know of anything that's holding it up.
"The essential parts of the deal are all agreed, hopefully it will be finalised soon."
Meanwhile, club captain Gary Neville has claimed that United's rivals underestimated the team last season as they romped to their first league title in four seasons.
The 32-year-old full-back, who is working to regain full fitness ahead of the beginning of next season following surgery, said he did not expect rivals Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal to take them so lightly next term.
"Nobody thought we would win the league last season," he said.
"But they underestimated us. They underestimated the knowledge and class of our manager.
"For two to three years we had been in suffering. At the start of the season we added Michael Carrick to our squad and lost Ruud van Nistelrooy. But Chelsea added Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack.
"But the manager knew what he was doing over a period of two years in building a new team and now we are in a fantastic position. Last season we played the best football – the most attacking and entertaining football – and we deserved to win the trophy.
"I don't think a United fan could ever be as excited about the players, the team and about the way the club is, as today."