Carlos Tevez: Sir Alex Lied to Me and Bought Berbatov, So I Joined Man City for Revenge

Former Argentine striker Carlos Tevez has lifted the lid on the reasons behind his controversial cross-town switch from Manchester United to Manchester City in 2009. Speaking to former teammate Rio Ferdinand, the South American admitted that joining the Cityzens was driven by a desire for revenge after Sir Alex Ferguson broke his promises.

Tevez revealed that at the beginning of his two-year loan spell, he had a firm agreement with the club for a permanent transfer if he performed well on the pitch. However, everything changed once Dimitar Berbatov arrived at Old Trafford.

"Fergie told me personally: 'Carlos, I will buy you and you're staying in Manchester.' I remember that conversation very well before pre-season. He told me: 'I will buy Berbatov, but don't worry – I will buy you too and we will sort out a permanent contract,'" the Argentine recalled.

According to him, the Red Devils boss had nearly six months to finalise the deal, but the situation went in a completely different direction instead.

"People don't understand what was happening behind the scenes and what was said between me and Fergie. He had about six months to keep his word, but he didn't. Instead, he started leaving me on the bench. In my mind, I thought he was deliberately sidelining me to drive my price down. That was what hurt me the most," Tevez explained.

The Argentine emphasised that he felt betrayed despite the silverware and success he achieved at Old Trafford.

"It was really tough for me, Rio, because I gave my heart to United, but I didn't get that same loyalty in return. We won the Champions League, we won the league title. After all that, they brought in another player to lower my market value. For the first few months, I kept giving everything, but after that, I didn't want to know anymore. I had a fantastic time at United, but moving to City was revenge. I didn't get back what I gave to the club," Tevez concluded.