The one that got away?

Milan transfer guru Adriano Galliani definitely knows how to work a bargain. Since 1986, when he started his long and prosperous career at the Via Turati, the man known as Uncle Fester has been the man behind the scenes. The one who has engineered deals that have seen so many of the world’s best players arrive at the Milanello and form part of the many great teams the club has boasted throughout this time.

From signing Patrick Kluivert in 1998 for a cut-price of €3.5 euros – back then the Dutchman was only 21-years-old and was one of the hottest properties in Europe – to securing the signature of Hernan Crespo from Stamford in 2004 for free, the list goes on.

Galliani has been at it for some time. As shown recently in deals secured for Robinho, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Antonio Cassano he has proven he still retains that canny knack of prising away star names and bringing them to the San Siro.

Even more recently, his procurement of Alberto Aquilani and Antonio Nocerino were arguably the best value deals of the Serie A last summer. The former, who was offered to Juventus for no less than €16 million not a month before, was snapped up on a loan with a right to buy for just a third of this price. Nocerino, who was a regular feature of a Palermo side that qualified for Europe this term, was signed for just over €1 million.

While Uncle Fester has established a solid reputation for his work in the transfer market, he has been left red-faced over the recent bungled pursuit of Carlos Tevez.

This week Manchester City president, Khaldoon Al-Mubarak, castigated Galliani and Milan for their methods in trying to steal away Carlos Tevez, and perhaps deservingly so.

In a clear jibe at Milan, Mubarak said earlier this week, “’Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain approached discussions with us in good faith and it is always a positive experience to deal with people with a professional approach”.

He then went on to declare that there is little chance Tevez will become an AC Milan player, as he was quoted, “’As things stand AC Milan isn’t an option for Carlos Tevez”.

“(AC Milan chief executive Adriano) Galliani and his advisers have developed a misplaced sense of confidence from their premature discussions with Carlos and his advisers….. they would do better to stop congratulating one another and begin to look at how they would meet our terms.”

Personal terms between Milan and Tevez were reached some time ago and with the player insisting that he wants to move to the San Siro, it was a transfer that seemed quite possible. Milan definitely felt that after achieving this, negotiating a price and other details would be a mere formality. It has been anything but.

City repeatedly voiced over the last few months when the Rossoneri’s interest in the Argentine became known that the player was never going to leave for a cut-price deal, despite Tevez not even training let alone playing. Coach Roberto Mancini also made this clear more than once but it seems that Galliani was not listening.

Perhaps Galliani is a history buff. And knowing Tevez’s history, through whining and whinging about his apparent unsettledness, his want to be closer to his family or whatever other farcical reason he has come up with, he has always got his way one way or another. He has always ended up playing for the club of his choice. It seems that Tevez was attempting the same trick with his current employers, but, unfortunately for him and Galliani too, the plan did not work this time. This time it will not be his choice.

City’s owners are taking a very strong stance. They are willing to force the player to stay at Eastlands despite him taking no part in the team. Only if they get the right offer, and they are asking for at least €30 million, will they let Tevez go. It is they and not Tevez in control of this situation.

”Carlos remains a player with contractual obligations to Manchester City for the next two and a half seasons,” Al Mubarak said this week. ”Unless we receive an offer that we deem appropriate the terms of his contract will be enforced.”

As time goes on and with Tevez not playing, getting the right price will become harder and harder. This they must be aware of.

But, they seem unperturbed by this. They are willing to let Tevez suffer. It may seem a little excessive, but City are well within their rights to take this position. After all, they own the player. Now, Tevez’s career stands at risk of being completely sabotaged. What goes around comes around some might say.

Aside from Mubarak’s unrelenting stance – of which we have only learned the full extent of it this week – one can imagine how Galliani could have thought he was on to a bargain. For rarely does a club make it so difficult for a deal to transpire when they want to get rid of a player, when the player wants to leave and when another club wants to buy them.

But, as mentioned there were several warnings by City themselves that they would not sell unless the price was right and only if it was a purchase, rather than a loan which Milan persisted with. Galliani did not heed these warnings and by not doing so he has been left red-faced. He has bottled his chase for Tevez and it seems highly unlikely that he will come to Milan.

Not to worry, however, this week Galliani has said that should Tevez not arrive the club will sign Maxi Lopez. Great! A player who does even start for Catania, whose goal-scoring record is hardly worth lifting an eyebrow over and whose career path represents that of a journeyman.

In fact, why Milan even feel the need to buy a striker is beyond me, especially with the promise that Stephen El Shaarawy has shown in the last ten days. With him, along with Ibrahimovic, Robinho, and Pato – once he is back from injury and Cassano – who will return one day, surely Milan have enough players to fill the two striking positions in Max Allegri’s system. Apparently not.