Carlos Tevez needs a club to meet Manchester City's £40 million asking price for him to get a move out of Etihad.

The Daily Mail says it is understood that City's Arab owners are totally serious when they say Tevez will be banished to the sidelines for two years rather than be sold for a penny less than his £40m value when the transfer window opens in January.

City will also consider launching a damages claim against Tevez if they cannot sell him at the start of next year. They believe his actions have contributed to a severe drop in his transfer value and may yet seek compensation from the player for this through the civil courts.