Boca Juniors rule out imminent Carlos Tevez return

Boca Juniors have moved to deny reports suggesting that they have a deal in place to bring Carlos Tevez back to the club.

The Argentine striker has been heavily linked with a homecoming after struggling to make an impact in the Chinese Super League with Shanghai Shenhua.

A lucrative move in December 2016 saw the 33-year-old become one of the highest paid players in world football, on a reported salary of £615,000-a-week.

His failure to settle in Asia has, however, sparked talk that the former Manchester United and Juventus frontman could be set for a third spell at Boca.

They have, however, sought to play down those rumours in a statement on the club’s official website which read: “Boca Juniors want to clarify that the club have not held any type of talks or negotiations with Tevez about his future engagement.

“According to the information available to us, the player’s current contract with Shanghai Shenhua expires at the end of 2018. We don’t know whether there is a clause that could terminate the contract [in advance].”

Boca’s vice-president Horacio Paolini had previously suggested that an agreement for Tevez was close and that a move was likely to happen.

He told TyC Sports: “It should be resolved these days.

“I am permanently with him. We live six blocks away, I saw him for the last time last week and we had a little barbecue.

“I am optimistic.”

It appears as though that optimism may have been misplaced, with Tevez now facing an uncertain future.

He has been informed by Shenhua that if he is to remain at the club, then he will need to be back in China by Boxing Day.

Club spokesman Ma Yue told reporters: “We have informed him that he would have to return to the squad on December 26.

“But whether he will come back or not, it depends on his own decision.”

Tevez has managed just four goals in 16 CSL appearances for Shenhua, having previously found the target more than 270 times over the course of a trophy-laden club career.