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Tevez rejected chance to be world's highest paid player

Carlos Tevez simply wants to get away from Manchester City © PA Photos

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ESPNsoccernet has learnt that the contract offer rejected by Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez would have made him the world's highest paid player.

Tevez turned down a five-year contract worth over £70 million - an astonishing £300,000-a-week - earlier this season, but his decision was only revealed when he handed in a transfer request last week.

City immediately rejected his request, but Tevez claimed in a statement that his desire to quit the club was "not about money" and thanked City owner Sheik Mansour for being "very generous with what he has offered to me".

Now, a source close to Manchester City has confirmed that Tevez rejected the world's biggest contract offer.

He told ESPNsoccernet: "Carlos Tevez has been portrayed as greedy, a common assumption with modern day footballers, but it simply isn't the case. He was offered a massive new contract and has turned it down.

"And he is unhappy at the club and so asked for a transfer. That is hardly out of the ordinary. Players do it all the time, mostly verbally, but Carlos is a strong character, as we all saw the way he came through the West Ham situation. But it really is not about the money. ''

Tevez met with manager Roberto Mancini on Friday for showdown talks, but his mood was described as "calm" after the club revealed they want him to return to the team for Monday's home game against Everton.

An insider told ESPNsoccernet: "There hasn't been a detailed discussion yet about the implications of the meeting with Carlos Tevez and Roberto Mancini, so everything for the moment is speculation, but the player's attitude was one of 'calm'."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.