United still upbeat on signing Tevez

Manchester United believe they will still be able to sign Carlos Tevez before the transfer window slams shut on August 31.

The 23-year-old Argentina striker's advisor Kia Joorabchian has issued High Court proceedings against West Ham United in a bid to resolve the thorny issue of the player's ownership.

Joorabchian acted just hours after Fifa recommended that the case should be referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

World football's governing body 's decision was welcomed by the Premier League, Football Association and West Ham.

Manchester United will just now have to wait for the dispute to be resolved, knowing if any judgement came down on the side of the Hammers, it would almost certainly scupper any hope they have of securing Tevez before the transfer deadline.

Red Devils chief executive David Gill is confident the matter will eventually be resolved to the nine-times Premiership champions' satisfaction.

Gill said: "I have not been involved in this and it is not Manchester United's decision. Clearly, it is a dispute between Tevez, the owners and West Ham.

"Hopefully, that can be solved relatively quickly and he can come to join us. I would have thought they have taken this decision in the belief that he can join us."

Sir Alex Ferguson is convinced Tevez and Wayne Rooney can prove to be the perfect striking partnership at Old Trafford.

Doubters have claimed Tevez and Rooney are too similar to appear in the same side, but Ferguson disagrees.

He said: "I know people say both players like to drop behind a mean striker but if you look at the FA Cup Final against Chelsea, Wayne played up front on his own and was absolutely fantastic.

"That is where I see his future anyway and that is why I believe he can play in the same side as Carlos Tevez."

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