Manchester City face a tough and stern battle this summer in trying to keep Carlos Tevez at the City of Manchester Stadium next season, as reports suggest that the striker is a summer transfer target for Italian and European champions Inter Milan.

New Inter Milan boss, Rafa Benitez, is a keen admirer of the striker and has been promised huge financial backing by his board this summer. It is believed that Benitez will look to swoop in for the Argentine with an estimated £40 million bid when the window re-opens in July.

The former Liverpool boss was keen in signing the striker whilst managing at Anfield, but with limited funds available at the time it proved to be an impossible. However, the Italian treble winners are willing to back Benitez in bringing top players to the club during the window and certainly Tevez fits the bill.

Tevez is currently in South Africa with Argentina, and will purely be focusing on the World Cup for the next 3 weeks. The two clubs remain at a stand still for now, but surely after the completion of the tournament, Benitez will make his move.

City maybe prepared to do business with the Italian club, especially if they could pull off their own ambitious move for Fernando Torres this summer. However, if the Blues want to be regarded as a top team and challenge for honours next season then shouldn’t they keep hold of players like Carlos Tevez?

He is no doubt one of, if not, the best player at the Manchester club, and to lose him this summer would prove to be a massive loss to the side and a blow to their ambitions. The tenacious striker’s work-rate, desire and determination is second to none, which makes him stand out from all the rest…he’s also not a bad finisher. Tevez made 33 appearances in the Premier League and managed to bag 23 goals along the way. The Argentine’s goal ratio stands at 1 goal every 1.4 games (approximately 112 minutes). Without question, the goals scored by the forward last season helped the club exceed above expectations, so to lose him would be a catastrophic blow for City.

Some may argue that Tevez can be replaced if he decides to depart, which maybe the case. However, if a club like City want to challenge for fourth or the title (like Mancini has stated) then Tevez staying at the club is vital.

With the news of Inter Milan and possibly Real Madrid being interested in the striker, City will undoubtedly have a massive transfer battle on their hands if they wish to keep their star man for the start of next season’s campaign. The player himself will be flattered with the interest shown in him as of late, and to be linked with such clubs of this quality, the striker will surely be pondering a possible move away from England. City’s biggest transfer battle this summer? You better believe it.

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