Carlos Tevez is hoping to secure a move but could remain at Manchester City if the club's valuation of the player is not met. Photograph: Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty ImagesCarlos Tevez is sweating on Corinthians tabling an improved bid to Manchester City before the Brazilian club's Sunday deadline, with the Eastlands hierarchy still holding out for ?50m.
Although a compromise may be struck somewhere in between that and Corinthians' initial offer of ?35m, City will not countenance a loan deal – similar to the one that allowed Robinho to join Santos in 2010 – for the striker, who is desperate to return to his old club.
City rejected Corinthians' original offer, with Sheikh Mansour, the owner, content to retain the unsettled Tevez at the club for another season if his valuation of the 27-year-old is not met.
Andres Sanchez, the Corinthians president, claimed on Friday that Juventus had entered the race to sign Tevez by lodging a ?45m bid, although that was denied by City. It is now up to the South American side to find the extra cash to fund an increased offer, although Tevez, the Premier League's highest paid player on ?250,000 a week, would have to accept a dramatic cut to his wages.
While Real Madrid are the other club who retain a keen interest in the Argentinian, his countryman Sergio Aguero suggested that he would like to leave Atletico Madrid for City. The 23-year-old striker is viewed by Roberto Mancini, the City manager, as the best replacement for Tevez, although the club will have to meet his release clause of ?38m.
Aguero told the Argentinian station Radio La Red: "I have made clear in my statement that I do not see myself at Atletico. I will seek the best for me, I know that my representatives are working and for now I don't want to think about it. I will do something after the Copa America, when I am able to think calmly.
"But if I said I saw myself at Atletico, I'd be lying. I'd prefer to play in Spain or England – those are the two best countries. I have given everything for the shirt and I have had a lot of fun but as far as my future is concerned, don't bet on anything."
Beyond Aguero, Jose Mourinho, the Real manager, is thought to favour a permanent move for Emmanuel Adebayor, who spent five months on loan at the Bernabeu from Manchester City last season, and is currently unsettled at the club.
Shay Given is one player who appears certain to leave Eastlands. The Irish goalkeeper is closing in on a move to Aston Villa after he failed to make a single Premier League appearance last season. Shaun Wright-Phillips, the City winger, is also reportedly interesting Alex McLeish, the Villa manager.
Yaya Toure, meanwhile, stated that City expect to win the Premier League next season. The midfielder told the club's website: "The new season will be very, very hard and we need to improve, because this season the club will play in the Champions League [for the first time]. We expect to stay in the top four of the Premier League and we expect to win the Premier League because now we are coming with more confidence, the players know each other better. I think this year will be fantastic for us."
Toure, who scored the winning goals in the semi-final and final of the FA Cup, expects his brother, Kolo, to make a successful return to playing action after his six-month suspension for failing a drugs test. He said: "Kolo's well. He's in New York with the family. We hope September will come quickly and we hope to help the club win something again next year."
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