Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini insists Carlos Tevez remains an important player for the club even as he tries to secure a move away from Eastlands.
The 27-year-old saw his hopes of returning to South America to be closer to his wife and two daughters dashed when Brazilian side Corinthians pulled out of a £40million move, citing the impossibility of concluding the deal before the closure of their transfer window.
And with Tevez still a City player, for the time being at least, Mancini is adamant he is still welcome at the club. The Italian told Sky Sports News: "At the moment Carlos is still a City player. In the future we will see what can happen. But for us Carlos is an important player."
He added: "Carlos wants to leave, wants to come back to Argentina or maybe another country for his family. It is only because of this I think that the club accept to sell Carlos, because I think that we respect his reasons."