Milan abandon Tevez talks as Pato stays
Reuters - Thursday 12 January 2012, 22:28
AC Milan have called off talks
with Manchester City over the signing of the Premier League
club's outcast forward Carlos Tevez, chief executive Adriano
Galliani said on Thursday.
Galliani, speaking in Italy after returning from talks in
London, said Milan had put the brakes on the deal following the
decision of Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato to stay at the
Serie A champions.
"The whole operation was connected, in that one would leave
and the other would arrive," he told Gazzetta dello Sport.
Pato, signed by Milan as an 18-year-old in 2007, had been
linked with big-spending Paris Saint-Germain but announced earlier
on Thursday that he wanted to stay put.
"I should say that I'm happy, it's a good omen," said
Galliani. "I think the player should have the right to choose
his life.
He added: "I'm not talking about a "no" from Pato to PSG,
it's been his desire to stay at Milan. He was thinking about it
for several days and that's fine."
Galliani declined to comment on speculation that Tevez, who
has not played for City since September when he refused to come
off the substitutes' bench and warm up during a Champions League
match at Bayern Munich, could go to PSG or rivals Inter Milan.
"I'm not in favour of one or the other, I know what's
happened but I'll keep it to myself," he said.
City have until the end of January, when the mid-season
transfer window closes, to find a buyer for the controversial
Argentine.