Roberto Mancini has personally had discussions with his former club to seal the switch of the rebel striker but Premier League leaders' valuation is still a stumbling block

By Wayne Veysey

Inter are in talks with Manchester City to offset the €7 (£5.8) million they are still owed for Mario Balotelli’s transfer to push through the signing of Carlos Tevez, Goal.com can disclose.

City have told the Serie A club they want €30(£25)m for Tevez after rejecting a €25 (£20.7)m bid from Inter for the striker.

The Premier League club are adamant Tevez will not be loaned out this month and are prepared to hold on to the player until the summer if their valuation is not met, despite the burden of his £198,000-a-week wages.

Goal.com understands City still owe around a quarter of the €28 (£23.5)m fee for Balotelli, who moved to the Etihad Stadium from San Siro in the summer of 2010.

Although it is City’s normal practice to pay the entirety of transfers up front – a condition of Samir Nasri’s £23m move from Arsenal was that City paid the money in one instalment – they did not do so with the Balotelli deal.

This has now emerged as the key to Inter’s negotiations for Tevez, talks that have been smoothed by the excellent relationship Roberto Mancini still has with senior officials at the club he led to three consecutive Serie A titles.

Sources have told Goal.com that Mancini has personally held discussions with both Inter sporting director Marco Branca and president Massimo Moratti over the last three weeks about Tevez, even at a time when AC Milan were widely considered to be favourites for the rebel forward’s signature.

Nevertheless, Inter and City are believed to be some way off agreeing a deal for Tevez, particularly with the Premier League club keen to hold out for the fee that matches their valuation. Paris Saint-Germain are reported by the French media today to be ready to make a move for the Argentine.

As revealed by Goal.com last Saturday, Tevez is willing to take a pay cut to €144,000 (£120,000) a week to push through a transfer in the current window.

He remains in Argentina after refusing requests to return to Manchester and his resolve to sever his ties with his employers has only hardened.

Moratti confirmed Inter’s interest in Tevez on Monday. “There are no secrets in football,” he said. “We have made our offer of €25m (£20.7m). Now it is up to City whether they accept that bid or not.

“However, I think there are a number of other clubs who are interested in him. There are some English sides and also Paris Saint-Germain.”