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Carlos Tevez is 1.22 to have left Manchester City by September 4 after releasing a statement making clear his desire to depart this summer.

Manchester City fans are presumably wise to the fact that whenever Carlos Tevez is back home in Argentina, they should brace themselves for a bold declaration about his future, and he didn't disappoint on Monday night, issuing a statement in which he asked to be allowed to leave the club.

After a lengthy wait, the FA Cup winners' captain, who is currently in South America to compete in the Copa America, didn't pick the best time to make his move, overshadowing news of the signing of Gael Clichy and coming the night before most of his team-mates begin their pre-season training.

He unsurprisingly pointed to his family situation as the reason that he is so keen to exit, saying that: "Living without my children in Manchester has been incredibly challenging for me. Everything I do, I do for my daughters, Katie and Florencia.

"I need to be closer to them and to spend more time with them. I need them to be happy because my life is about them now. I need to be in a place where they can adapt."

The striker asked supporters to respect his decision and commitment during his two years at Eastlands, presumably ignoring the transfer request last December. Most appreciate the difficulty of living away from loved ones, though the prospect of a switch to a Champions League rival in Spain or Italy instead of a return to Argentina might test their willingness to show understanding.

The 27-year-old intimated last month that owner Sheikh Mansour had told him that he was free to decide his own future and Betfair punters are largely of the opinion that he will get his own way, with odds of 1.22 offered on him going, while a price of 3.65 is available on him staying.

The developments have hurt the Citizens' title odds, which have drifted from 5.2 to 5.5 despite the addition of Clichy. Roberto Mancini's side are 24.0 to win the Champions League.

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