An Argument for Why Juventus Must Not Tie Carlos Tevez to a New Deal

While spending time in Argentina during the Christmas break, Carlos Tevez discussed his situation with Juventus and made a number of comments that quickly found their way back to Italy. Far from the kind of outburst with which he was previously synonymous, the 30-year-old made a simple and calm statement of intent.

"I'm not thinking of signing an extension because that’s not how I feel at the moment," Tevez told reporters in his homeland per FourFourTwo. "As I always said, my idea is to complete my contract. Everyone knows I said so from the moment I arrived at Juve.”

It quickly became headline news across the peninsula, so central has Tevez become to the Turin side since his arrival in June 2013. Indeed, when looking for a transfer that can claim to have had the most impact on a club in recent seasons, the £10 million switch Tevez made from Manchester City must rank highly on any list.

Netting a staggering 38 goals in all competitions for the Bianconeri thus far, he narrowly trailed Ciro Immobile as Serie A’s leading scorer in 2013-14, finishing just three behind the Italian. He is also currently top of the charts this term, already weighing in with 13 goals and five assists, making himself indispensable to the reigning champions and striking fear into defences across the peninsula.

There is little doubt he is the club’s most valuable player, capable of winning games almost single-handedly and helping Massimiliano Allegri’s side win matches that would otherwise end as draws. The value of Tevez cannot be reduced simply to his goal tally either, he possesses an infectious work rate that has spread throughout the squad since his arrival in Turin.

While he averages just 0.8 tackles and 0.1 interceptions per game, according to statistics from WhoScored.com, his effort is plain to see, and a number of other players have followed his example. The likes of Paul Pogba, Roberto Pereyra and Kingsley Coman follow the lead of Tevez, who has been a model professional since landing in Italy.

Asked about possibly resting his star striker for the Super Cup clash with Napoli last month, Allegri underlined the role played by the Argentinean. “He's clearly not 100 percent fit at the moment,” the coach noted, per the club’s official website. “But he's such a big player he can still make the difference at any time.”

The prospect of losing Tevez right now is unthinkable, yet it would also be a mistake for the Old Lady to commit to him for a longer period. There are still 18 months remaining on his current deal, by which time he will have turned 32 and is likely to have played over 700 games as a professional, inevitably leading to a serious amount of wear and tear.

It seems impossible to ignore the fact Juventus would receive increasingly diminishing returns on any investment, and the player’s desire to return to the club he loves cannot be underestimated. Wishing to end his career back where it all began, Tevez first joined Boca Juniors back in 1997 and started a love affair with the blue and gold which burns passionately to this day.

It is a mutual feeling, too, with the Bocas' Daniel Angelici repeatedly stating his aim of bringing the striker back to La Bombonera. “Over a year and half, things can change. But right now his idea is [Tevez will return next year],” the president told Gazzetta Dello Sports (h/t Goal.com) recently, understanding the position of both the player and his current club.

As we have seen in the past, there seems to be little sense in attempting to stand in Tevez’s way, and having already stated his intention to honour his current deal, the Bianconeri could coax a superb final season in Europe from the former Manchester United star.

Losing him now would obviously be catastrophic for the grand Old Lady of Italian football, but 18 months is an eternity in football. With the likes of Kingsley Coman, Alvaro Morata and Simone Zaza waiting to be passed the torch by the summer of 2016, her future is comfortably secure.

By then, Juventus can thank Carlos Tevez for three incredible years of service, and wave him off into the Buenos Aires sunset as he returns home.