Tevez Talks Ongoing

Negotiations to make Carlos Tevez a permanent addition to United's squad are ongoing, but Sir Alex Ferguson is far from frustrated.

The Argentine is in the second half of a two-year loan deal at Old Trafford, Although both parties are openly keen to make the deal a bonafide transfer, the slow progress has stirred press suggestions of discontent from the media.

However, Sir Alex says: "It’s not as if we’re short on negotiations – there have been negotiations. We all know that sometimes that can take a long time, and this one is just going along. David [Gill] has been talking to his agent and it’s best left to David, he’s good at that. I’m used to this over the years, well used to it. You just have to be patient."

The media consensus is that Tevez has had to be patient in a playing capacity this season, playing the role of disgruntled subsitute behind first-choice partnership of Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov. Statistics paint a different picture, however. The Argentine has 12 starts this term, two less than Berbatov and five less than Rooney, and Sir Alex admits such squad rotation is a necessary evil.

"It’s not difficult," he said. "When you have a squad of players, everyone gets a share of games. The important thing is that Carlos is making a great contribution. He’s started a few games. We’re only halfway through the season, and by the end of the season you’ll see, when it’s all down in print, how many games he’s actually participated in.

"There’s not one player who’s played all the games. They’ve all had minutes on the clock and they’ve all had some time on the bench. Some haven’t been involved at all in some games, and that’s exactly what happens nowadays in the modern use of your squad rotation."