Manchester City chairman Khaldoon al-Murabarak believes that the club handled the Carlos Tevez situation well by refusing to let the Argentina international leave in the January transfer window.

The 28-year-old looked set to leave the Premier League champions in the winter window when he abandoned the club for South America without permission after refusing to warm up during a Champions League group-stage defeat to Bayern Munich in September.

Despite Tevez's willingness to move to AC Milan, City rejected any transfers for the striker, who now has performed a u-turn and decided to stay at the Etihad Stadium.

"It was a landmark. We cannot allow ourselves, as a club, to be mucked around," Al-Murabarak said in a new book called Richer than God.

"It was a hell of a gamble for me, not to let him leave for AC Milan in January, because he could have sat out all year, but not played for us and lost his value. But I was firm that we are not rich people to be taken advantage of, to give him what he wants and let the market screw us."

Meanwhile, reports have claimed that the North West outfit are ready to launch a £25m bid for wantaway Arsenal forward Robin van Persie.