The European Parliament are set to get involved with Manchester United's deal for Carlos Tevez.

The Sun says United are refusing to pay the £26million fee demanded by a consortium led by Kia Joorabchian, who owns Tevez.

And Chris Heaton-Harris, president of the EU's powerful Sports Intergroup which deals with sporting matters across the continent, insisted there was nothing to stop the Argie striker going his own way.

East Midlands MEP Heaton-Harris is an influential figure in Brussels on sports issues and admitted he has been shocked by the Tevez saga.

He told The Sun: "It is unique and bizarre that an entity, rather than a club, owns a player.

"In employment terms, Carlos Tevez has a contract himself with this company. But if he went to the European Commission and said he wanted out of it, he would get European support.

"It is just an employment contract. You can't keep a person to a contract that he doesn't want to continue in.

"Under European law, he has the right to break this contract."

There is, of course, no evidence that Tevez wants to break from his owners or Joorabchian, who is also his adviser.

They agreed a loan deal with United two years ago. It had the proviso that, if United wanted to keep the player, they would have to pay £26m for him.

United have not exercised that option, so Joorabchian and his consortium say that it is time to look elsewhere.