MONDAY MEETING IN TEVEZ SAGA

The Carlos Tevez transfer saga appears a step closer to being resolved after FIFA agreed to meet representatives of the Premier League and Football Association on Monday.

And Sir Alex Ferguson is hoping Manchester United are eventually given the green light to sign the Argentine as he has revealed he has no back-up plan.

Ferguson's efforts to lure Tevez to Old Trafford have ground to a halt amid a deluge of legal arguments over who owns the player's registration.

The Argentina striker's advisor Kia Joorabchian last week accused West Ham of saying one thing in private and another in public in their stance on the Tevez ownership issue, something the Upton Park club strenously deny.

With the Premier League sticking to their position that West Ham own the player after they tore up the third-party agreement with Joorabchian which landed them in so much trouble, the Tevez camp asked for FIFA to step in.

And members of FIFA, the FA and the Premier League will now convene in Zurich on Monday to decide whether it is "appropriate" for the world game's governing body to arbitrate in the dispute between Tevez and the Hammers.

A Premier League spokesman said: "The Premier League and the FA will be meeting to discuss whether it's appropriate for FIFA to arbitrate on the dispute between Tevez and West Ham."

"West Ham contend that they have a four-year contract with the player and the player's representatives contend that it's a one-year contract with escape clauses."

United remain totally convinced FIFA will eventually rule in Joorabchian's favour, an outcome which would cause the Premier League huge embarrassment.

However, the Old Trafford club also know there is a chance the verdict would go the other way, effectively blocking their bid to sign Tevez before the August 31 transfer deadline.

Such a decision would leave Ferguson having to decide whether to keep Alan Smith and Giuseppe Rossi or enter the transfer market again.

The Red Devils chief said last week he had already seen a bid for an un-named forward rejected earlier in the summer. And he currently does not have an alternative should the Tevez move break down.

"I am confident Carlos Tevez will sign and I am happy to wait until clearance comes along," he said.

"If it become obvious the situation wasn't going to turn our way we would have to reconsider our plans. But I have nothing as a fall-back position at this moment in time."

There has been a suggestion from FIFA that, as yet, no paperwork has been received from any source with regard to the Tevez affair.

With the time factor so important given United would have to wait until January to sign Tevez should a deal not be pushed through by the end of next month, that is something of a surprise, especially as club lawyer Maurice Watkins remained in Manchester rather than embarking on the club's Far East tour.

However, chief executive David Gill moved quickly to calm fears nothing was being done.

"It is a complicated matter being worked on by all the parties involved and we hope for a positive resolution in the course of the next few weeks," he said.

"We are in discussions with the FA and FIFA on the matter. It is moving to the appropriate body."

taken from =football365=