MANCHESTER (AFP) - Manchester City’s new signing Carlos Tevez denied on Tuesday that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson did his best to keep him at Old Trafford.

The 25-year-old Argentinian international striker has signed for United’s city rivals in a 25.5million pounds five-year contract after his two-year deal at United ran out at the end of last season.

As United headed towards their 18th league title at the end of last term, speculation about whether United would extend Tevez’s contract grew ever more debated before Ferguson decided not to keep the Argentinian.

However, Ferguson suggested on Monday that he had in fact wanted to retain Tevez’s services and said that he had tried to contact him in January regarding his future - only to be ignored by his player.

Those claims were comprehensively refuted by Tevez at his unveiling at the City of Manchester Stadium on Tuesday as he insisted that Ferguson had never once been in touch.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has revealed his club are struggling to compete in an over-heated summer transfer market.

The Reds paid £17m for Portsmouth right-back Glen Johnson, but saw long-term target Gareth Barry opt for Manchester City rather than Anfield.

The Spaniard is also preparing to fend off enquiries for midfield pair Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano.

“The market is now crazy. It is all money, money, money now,” he said.

“We had to pay big money. But we were signing a good player, an England player (Johnson), and that is very positive.”

Johnson was reportedly tracked by Chelsea and Manchester City, two clubs whose owners have contributed to spiralling transfer fees for top players.

Since he bought the club in 2003, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has supplemented Chelsea’s transfer funds with large loans, while City were taken over by the ambitious and wealthy Abu Dhabi United Group in September.

Barry, 28, who came close to joining Liverpool last summer, became the latest big-money arrival at Eastlands as he followed Roque Santa Cruz, Jo, Robinho and Craig Bellamy in an £12m move at the start of June.

“City have signed a lot of good players, but that is no guarantee they will win anything. But it will be interesting to see what happens next season,” said Benitez.

The summer’s most spectacular spending has taken place at Spanish side Real Madrid, where Benitez spent his early years as a coach.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and Raul Albiol have been recruited at a combined cost of about £183m, but the Reds boss warned that building a team through the chequebook is no guarantee of success.

“Things have changed. You have to adapt to a situation. Manchester City and big clubs in Europe are spending big money, so the market has changed and we have to work harder,” he added.

“If you spend big it is always easier to perform well. But when you have a good understanding between players, that is also important. If they are together, they work hard, that is just as important.”

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed the club have lodged a bid of over €40million with Valencia for striker David Villa.

A host of top clubs have been chasing Villa this summer, with Barca understood to have been locked in talks with Los Che for the past few weeks.

Real Madrid have already pulled out of the race to sign the 27-year-old forward, saying the price was too high.

Chelsea and Manchester United are both still interested, but Villa’s preference is a move to either Real or Barca.

He recently called for a resolution to the situation, with the La Liga season fast approaching.

Now Laporta has confirmed Barcelona want to take him to the Camp Nou. He said: “He’s (Villa) a player we’re interested in, and we made a good bid for him, closer to €40 million than €50million.”

Laporta also confirmed Barca would attempt to sign Franck Ribery, should Bayern Munich decide to sell: “He’s (Ribery) a player we are interested in at a logical price. But Bayern don’t want to sell. Although if they are interested in selling, we are interested (in buying). We need small adjustments; a left back, a central defender, a midfielder and a forward.”

The Samuel Eto’o situation is no closer to being resolved, Laporta said. The Cameroon striker has been offered a two-year contract extension but has yet to respond, while Manchester City have put in an offer for him.

“I have called him a couple of times but he hasn’t answered his mobile,” Laporta said. “I don’t know if he has changed the number or whether he’s lost it, but I would like to speak to him.”

The Barca president also said there is no way Lionel Messi will be leaving the club: “I love him a lot! He wouldn’t leave Barcelona for any price. We are not selling, he has a clause of €150million, but more than that there his commitment to the club.”

Laporta confirmed manager Pep Guardiola only has one-year left on his contract, but insisted both parties were content: “He’s got a contract until the end of the season and he likes this situation.”

This morning Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti attempted to put an end to speculation linking John Terry with a move to Manchester City by telling them that he is not available at any price, but it appears City have a contingency plan in the form of Bayern Munich star Lucio.

According to The Daily Mail, Lucio is willing to listen to offers due to fears he is not in trainer Louis van Gaal’s plans for next season. As a result, the 31-year-old has attracted the attention of Manchester City, who could bring him to Eastlands for just €7 million.

The Brazilian is also being followed by Inter Milan, who are also in the market for a centre-back. Negotiations have been ongoing with Chelsea for Ricardo Carvalho, but they appear to have broken down after a fee could not be agreed, and the English tabloid reports that the Nerazzurri have turned their attentions to Lucio.

The central defender made his name in Europe with Bayer Leverkusen, before joining Bayern Munich in 2004. He has made 84 appearances for the national side, and won the World Cup in 2002. His latest triumph, achieved as captain, was leading his side to the Confederations Cup in South Africa in June.

LONDON (AP)—Michael Owen joined English champion Manchester United on Friday, a striking reversal of fortune for an injury-plagued forward who has been dropped from the national team by manager Fabio Capello.

The 29-year-old, who has 40 goals in 89 international appearances, signed a two-year contract. The former Liverpool and Real Madrid player was a free agent after his contract expired Tuesday at relegated Newcastle.

“I never though it in my wildest dreams really. When I got the call from the manager to come and meet him, it was a shock,” Owen said. “I know there will be a few people saying the manager shouldn’t have bought me.”

Owen’s agent had been so concerned about finding him a new club that he sent a 32-page brochure to teams around Europe trumpeting his enduring qualities and rebutting fitness fears.

United has watched Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez depart since losing the Champions League final to Barcelona.

“Michael is a world-class forward with a proven goal-scoring record at the highest level, and that has never been in question,” United manager Alex Ferguson said. “Coming to Manchester United with the expectations that we have is something that Michael will relish.”

Owen underwent stringent medical examinations on his troublesome right knee before the contract was signed.

“I’m sure a club like this can re-ignite my career,” Owen said. “I do not feel that I am injury prone.”

He scored 10 goals in 32 matches last season at Newcastle, which finished 18th at 7-18-13, and had 30 goals in 79 games since joining the club in 2005.

Chelsea have signed Middlesbrough goalkeeper Ross Turnbull on a free transfer to provide back up to Czech Republic international Petr Cech.

The 24-year-old, who made 29 senior appearances for Boro in the Premier League, signed a deal to keep him at Stamford Bridge for four years.

Boro announced at the end of the 2008/9 season that Turnbull would be leaving The Riverside Stadium when his contract expired on June 30.

The former England youth international spent much of his time with Middlesbrough out on loan, making 67 appearences during spells at Darlington, Bradford City, Barnsley and Crewe Alexandra.

Turnbull will now fight it out with 33-year-old Portuguese goalkeeper Hilario, who recently signed a new two-year contract with the Blues, to be second choice behind Cech.

Mark Hughes has confirmed that Manchester City are still in the hunt to sign Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o and Argentina hit-man Carlos Tevez.

The Eastlands club made a £25m offer for Eto’o earlier this week, along with a four-year contract reportedly worth £250k-per-week, but the 28-year-old’s agent said he would prefer to stay at the Camp Nou.

Barcelona have since offered the Cameroon international a new contract, but Hughes has not given up hope of getting his man.

“We have made an offer but there appears to be a situation between the player and his club that we cannot be part of,” Hughes said.

“We just have to sit back and see what develops. Patience is a word that has been mentioned and we may need some of it.”

Hughes also confirmed City are interested in signing Tevez, who has left rivals Manchester United, amid reports the Citizens are in talks with the 25-year-old.

“I am a huge admirer of Carlos,” he said. “Everyone is aware of his situation and we are interested, as we are in all top quality players.

“We will have to see what happens but these are very early days.”

Hughes was speaking at the unveiling of Roque Santa Cruz, who finally completed his move from Blackburn Rovers last week.

Santa Cruz already knows he has competition for places from Craig Bellamy and Robinho even without the likes of Eto’o and Tevez joining City as well.

But such strength in depth is one of the reasons Hughes believes the Blues are capable of fulfilling the extreme expectation they will face, unlike last term when the Welshman always knew they would fall well short.

“If we can get the players we are hoping for we will have more tools at our disposal to do the job,” he said.

“We are trying to address that situation and we feel we are getting closer.

“Leading into the new season we are in better shape to be better prepared than we were last year, when expectations were the same as they will be this time.

“Last year we couldn’t fulfil them. This time I think we will.”

Santa Cruz is of the same opinion, even though the £18m Paraguayan accepts it may take time.

“The aim is the top four and that is certainly the mentality among the players,” he said.

“It might not happen overnight but we will move in the right way.”

• Meanwhile, Manchester City have confirmed four senior players have left the club.

Danny Mills, Darius Vassell, Dietmar Hamann and Michael Ball were not offered new contracts by manager Mark Hughes and are now free to take up other offers.

LONDON (AP)—Cristiano Ronaldo’s world-record transfer to Real Madrid from Manchester United has been completed.

A fee of $131 million for the player was agreed to between the clubs last month and United reported on its Web site on Wednesday that the fee has been paid.

United manager Alex Ferguson paid tribute to the Portugal winger.

“Cristiano has been a marvelous player for Manchester United. His six years at Old Trafford have seen him develop into the best footballer in the world,” Ferguson said. “His contribution has been a major factor in the club’s success in that time and his talent, his ability to entertain and his infectious personality have enthralled fans the world over.”

“Everyone here wishes him well in his future career,” Ferguson said.

Manchester United signed Antonio Valencia from Wigan on Tuesday as it looks to fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure to Real Madrid.

Brazilian star Kaka successfully passed his medical with Real Madrid, the Primera Division giants have confirmed.

The 27-year-old had already completed a first set of medical tests with Madrid whilst on international duty in Brazil prior to the official announcement of his transfer from AC Milan on June 8.

Kaka, who Madrid have paid Milan a fee reportedly in the region of £56m for, will be presented by his new club at the Bernabeu on Tuesday evening at a ceremony starting at 2030 local time.

The former Sao Paulo player arrived in Madrid having just helped Brazil win the Confederations Cup in South Africa - being named player of the tournament in the process.

Kaka underwent various tests at the Sanitas La Moraleja Hospital in the Spanish capital, which he passed with flying colours according to the club’s medical team.

Carlos Diez, Real Madrid’s medical chief, said: ”The tests taken today show that he is a player in perfect condition to play football at the highest level as has been seen at the Confederations Cup.

”These test have been done to complement the ones done in Brazil. We have incorporated new protocols, such as a biomechanic study, which allows us to study the player and be able to prevent future injuries and optimise his performances.”