After finding himself cast off from Manchester City in 2013, Carlos Tevez has been in brilliant form for Italian giants Juventus this season, but he could be forced to move on this summer.
Could that mean a move to Major League Soccer?
Sports Illustrated writer and Fox Sports contributor Grant Wahl said on Fox’s Champions League pregame show that he’s heard from three separate sources that Tevez has contacted MLS teams expressing interest in joining. Wahl speculates that it’s possible Tevez is using this as leverage to earn a new deal in Italy, but the sources (which he made to sound like those inside MLS) believe the interest from the striker and his representatives is genuine.
At 31 years old, Tevez has reached the age where many clubs are unwilling to commit long-term to players. Certain English clubs such as Chelsea and Arsenal have strict policies against giving players above the age of 30 more than one-year deals. Currently, Tevez’s contract with Juventus expires in the summer of 2016, and speculation surrounding a player’s future often increases significantly with just one more year left on a contract.
Wahl mentioned that despite public interest from clubs in Tevez’s home country of Argentina, especially that from his first professional club Boca Juniors, he would have to significantly lower his expected annual income in order to bring those clubs into play. MLS, however, would be able to pay him market value, and there are reasonable destinations, with clubs like New York Red Bulls and NYCFC both having open Designated Player spots. RBNY would make significant sense considering they just lost another prolific and popular striker in Thierry Henry.
Back in December, Tevez said he did not wish to sign a contract extension with Juventus, but did express interest in playing out his current contract, which would see him remain in Turin for one more season.
Tevez has scored 20 Serie A goals this season, seeing Juventus to yet another run-away Serie A title. He also has seven more scores in 11 Champions League matches, including goals against Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.