Manchester United face significant disruption to their preparations for the start of the season on August 11 after Fifa yesterday refused to give any indication of how quickly it could resolve the dispute over Carlos Tevez.
The world governing body's "disputes resolution chamber" is set to be asked to pass judgment on the Argentinian's contractual situation with West Ham in a case which is likely to be brought directly by Tevez against the club he helped save from relegation.
West Ham claim that Tevez is contracted to them until 2010, while the player's representative, Kia Joorabchian, believes that there is no enforceable contract of employment.
The possible timeframe for any resolution raises serious doubt over whether Tevez will be available for the start of the season or, indeed, whether the deal can be completed before August 31, the end of the summer transfer window.
A Fifa spokesman yesterday admitted it was "impossible" to know when it would be resolved. "We can't give any timeframe - it will depend on the complexity of the case. At this stage we have still not yet had a formal request. If time is of the essence it might be possible to throw it forward but first of all Fifa must decide if it is competent to act on the case."
Fifa's legal department is very busy with 16 case handlers each dealing with 60 cases at any time. Mick McGuire, an English board member of FIFPro, who represent cases that go to the disputes resolution chamber, said it could yet go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. "It could drag on," he said. "But Fifa make the regulations on transfer windows and know the timeframes. You can take it to CAS, and that would be the final appeal stage."
The Torygraph
Manchester United have written off the prospects of Carlos Tevez completing his controversial move to Old Trafford in time for next month's Community Shield meeting against Chelsea.
The Premiership champions also fear that the Argentine's future could remain unresolved when the Premiership kicks off on Aug 11 following the decision of the player and his club, West Ham, to go to Fifa in an effort to clarify once and for all the clouded issue of his ownership.
Plans by United to wrap up a deal worth £30 million for the 23-year-old forward early next week have now been ripped up and a proposed medical examination due to take place in Manchester today has been shelved because of West Ham's refusal to grant permission.
While United remain confident that Tevez will be their player before the transfer window closes on Aug 31, the possibility of a protracted hearing at Fifa's disputes resolution chamber (DRC) has placed a growing question mark over just when a deal could be finalised. The chamber do not meet again until August 9 - two days before the start of the season.
A West Ham spokesman said: "It now makes sense for this to be dealt with by Fifa. All parties agree this is the best way forward and, of course, we'll be involved in helping this to be resolved as quickly as possible."
United chief executive David Gill, in Seoul, said: "I'm not certain on the timescale of all this, but I have spoken to our club solicitor, Maurice Watkins, and he tells us it can take two weeks to arrange for the body to form and papers on the case to be pulled together."
Tevez will claim that he signed a one-year contract at West Ham with an option of a further year that has not been taken up by the London club, theoretically leaving him free to move on. But West Ham are understood to be ready to counter that argument by insisting they have a four-year contract with the player.
If Fifa find in Tevez's favour, United will be free to negotiate the terms of the transfer with Media Sports Investments, the company who own his economic rights. However, a finding supporting West Ham's case would leave United to strike a deal with them, and not MSI, to buy out the remainder of Tevez's contract.
Gill added: "We are very confident the issue will be resolved in favour of the player and for him to achieve his and our wish to join Manchester United. Based on what we've seen and the discussions we've had, we're very confident it will go in Carlos' favour and that he will be part of Sir Alex Ferguson's squad next season.
"Carlos has not undergone a medical and he will probably now take a well-earned break with his family because the plan, had he signed for us by now, had always been for him join up with the squad after we had returned from our tour of Asia. But we remain confident that, by the time the season starts, Carlos will be training with us at Carrington."