With Carlos Tevez asking for a new contract and now a transfer, Manchester City is finding that becoming the richest club in English football brings problems as well as perks.
Tevez said Sunday that he wants to leave after falling out with club officials, but City hinted its key player is demanding a transfer because his repeated requests for a new contract have been turned down.
Tevez's arrival in July 2009 was heralded as a significant step in owner Sheikh Mansour's attempt to build a side capable of overhauling the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal at the top of the Premier League.
Lucrative contracts and the prospect of honors tempted world-class players including David Silva and Yaya Toure into following Tevez to City, and the club only narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification last season.
City has already said its vast wealth means clubs, players and agents feel able to demand higher fees and better terms than they would from other sides.
And now - in a move reminiscent of Wayne Rooney's recent standoff with Manchester United over his contract - its highest paid player may be doing the same.
Less than three weeks before the January transfer window opens, Manchester City said that it had refused Tevez's written request to be sold to another club in what it implied was a move motivated by his desire for an improved deal.
"The club remains disappointed by this situation and particularly with the actions of Carlos' representative," City said in a statement. "The written transfer request is in stark contrast to Carlos' stated position in both public and club contexts.
"Significantly, over recent months, the club has also received numerous requests from Carlos' representative to renegotiate and improve his playing contract as well as more recently a request to extend that contract by another year."
Tevez has 3 1/2 years remaining on the 5-year contract he signed after leaving Manchester United last year, which City said makes him its best paid player. That contradicts widespread media reports that his teammate Yaya Toure attained that status when he signed from Barcelona in July.
But Tevez responded with a statement of his own, railing against the club's criticism of his agent and blaming club officials for his unhappiness.
"I hugely resent the management's suggestions that I have been unduly influenced by others," Tevez said. "I wanted to leave in the summer, but was convinced to return to the club. Sadly, my feelings have not changed. I am disappointed that the management should now see fit to try to portray the situation in another light.
"My relationship with certain executives and individuals at the club has broken down and is now beyond repair."
But Tevez said his relationship with City manager Roberto Mancini was cordial, despite the pair exchanging angry words on the touchline against Bolton last week when Tevez was irked by a decision to substitute him after he had scored the only goal.
British newspapers reported that Tevez had clashed repeatedly with Mancini over what he perceives as the manager's negative tactics and misses his young family in Argentina.
City said it had been accommodating toward Tevez's desire to visit Argentina as often as possible.
"Roberto Mancini and all at the club have shown, and will continue to show, sensitivity to Carlos' personal circumstances - including the issue of his family being based overseas," City said. "Indeed, following his suspension as a result of the game against Bolton, Carlos requested - and was given - special dispensation by the manager to take leave overseas."
Tevez has scored 39 goals in 17 months with City and the team is highly reliant on his attacking threat. He scored 23 of its 63 Premier League goals last season.
City, which beat West Ham 3-1 on Saturday to maintain its challenge for the Premier League title, said it will not renegotiate contracts in midseason and that Tevez would remain available for selection. City's next game is in the Europa League at Juventus on Thursday, before it faces Everton in the Premier League the following Monday.
Rooney publicly declared his desire to leave United in October but backed down when he was given an improved five-year contract that made him the best paid player in the club's 132-year history.
