May 16th 2008: “I would certainly love to extend my contract. I would go and sign right now if the opportunity was there. From day one, everyone has treated me well and made me feel right at home. The fans at Manchester United even shout ‘Argentina’. That is why I am so happy here.”

September 20th 2008: “I cannot ever imagine leaving Manchester United. I am in the perfect situation. My relationship with the club is perfect. Patrice Evra is my closest friend but the feeling I get from all the players is something I’ve not experienced before. I want to get the contract sorted and play for United for the rest of my career.”

September 21st 2008: Kia Joorabchian – “Carlos is not joining Manchester City. All this talk linking him with them is a complete load of nonsense. He is a Manchester United player through and through and is looking forward to signing a long-term contract with them in the near future.”

November 1st 2008: “This club have the most talented forward line in England and the manager has decided that we cannot all play in the team at the same time. I want to play more and the coach knows this. But I have no problem with him. We have spoken. There is no way I would want to leave this club. I insist I am calm. I have confidence in the coach and he has in me. In this sport it is necessary to be patient and I will be.”

January 4th 2009: “We have not started talks with Manchester United yet, though I am keen to stay. Sir Alex Ferguson has told me he wants me to remain a United player and that is certainly my desire too. My contract ends in the summer and we have agreed to sit down at the end of the season and discuss a new contract, nothing I have heard from the club suggests it will be otherwise. There is simply no reason to sit down now. I have a great relationship with Sir Alex and I hope that will continue long into the future.“

February 21st 2009: “I do have a great feeling about Manchester United and, in particular, the fans. I have a great affection for them and they have made the feeling phenomenal. But at this point I am not sure if I will stay, not least because it is not just my decision. It is up to Manchester to decide if they want to keep me.”

April 3rd 2009: On Ferguson – “From the moment I arrived, he has treated me with respect as a person. His greatest quality is that, for him, there are no star players – everyone is equal, whether they cost many millions or are a young player who hasn’t played many times for the team. When I see him work he reminds me of Carlos Bianchi, who was my coach at Boca Juniors in Argentina. Both have had a big influence on my career, and both know how to treat people.“
On the future – “I cannot think of any team except United. The United fans love me and my family is very happy both in Manchester and in England. I hope I will still be here next season. I do not want to play with any other team. I always follow heart and my heart is telling me it will be impossible for me to leave.”

May 29th 2009: “I wanted to play in the starting line-up in Rome but that decision was down to the coach. But with a strategy more attacking in the first minute then perhaps the result would have been different. It has not been a good time for me because I believe that I should have played more minutes.”

July 5th 2009: “If I play for Manchester City I don’t think the United fans will feel I am a traitor. They have to remember that at least as far as I know I have been thrown out of the club and I have to study the best offers available.”

July 14th 2009: “I was there for two years and Sir Alex never called or sent any text messages in that time. The only time he talked to me was after a match against Roma to discuss a situation about going to play for Argentina. It doesn’t seem that this is the way to treat a player in two years at the club. It doesn’t seem there is a line of communication.”

July 16th 2009: “Real made an offer but there was no agreement. There were talks about deals and agreements but in the end it was only City. They showed lots of interest in me and are intent on growing and signing big players. I am sad to leave United but I am excited to join City. I’m thinking about the future and I will grow with this club.”

July 25th 2009: “I respect United fans because they supported me from day one and I think they will understand my decision. I have had big challenges throughout my life and now I am ready for another. City is a big project but I am excited. We have the best attack in Europe – Robinho, Santa Cruz, Adebayor, Wright-Phillips. It is very strong. I am convinced City will reach the top level in Europe in just one year because it is a strong, ambitious club.”

September 18th 2009: “I expect to have a good reception. While at United, I always gave my best and I had good relations with the fans. They know I did everything while at Old Trafford to try to score the goals that would help the team win matches, so I don’t know why I should have a bad reception.”

September 22nd 2009: “I must admit I did believe I would get a different reception from the United supporters. Initially everything was positive and I was greeted by my former team-mates and United staff without any problems at all. But as soon as I entered the field the atmosphere was very different. It was hard to take because previously I was always wanted by those people.”

November 13th 2009: “It crosses my mind to hang up my boots if we win the World Cup, although I have a contract with City until 2014. I’m a bit tired of so much football. I want to enjoy my family a bit. I’m very keen to stop and get a bit of calm. I’ve already won a lot. Living for football has saturated me.”

December 4th 2009: “Obviously I was disappointed because I don’t think I deserved to be treated that way. When I was there I was a hard-working and loyal player who gave my all. Obviously I’d be delighted to beat United and reach the final but I still have respect for the club. I won’t celebrate if I score. I don’t want to rub their noses in it.”

January 22nd 2010: “In all the press here, Gary Neville came out and stood by Ferguson’s comments, saying that I wasn’t worth £25 million. I thought he was in the wrong because we were team-mates and I never disrespected him, I always respected him. I feel he was a boot-licker when he stood by Ferguson’s comments that I wasn’t worth that money. From a former team-mate it hurts, from a coach it doesn’t surprise me. I would never do that gesture towards the fans, I would never show a lack of respect towards people. It was directed at Gary Neville. Just as I was running off to celebrate the penalty I had scored, I came across Gary and I said to myself, ’shut your trap, keep quiet’. I didn’t go overboard in my celebration and it was directed at Gary, not at Ferguson and not at the fans. I didn’t even look at Ferguson.

January 26th 2010: “The welcome I received from the moment I arrived at City has been very special. I was made to feel loved and this means a lot to any footballer.”

April 13th 2010: “The players are not happy with this. We are at the end of a long season, we have big matches, we are tired but there are still double training sessions, morning and afternoon. Then, the next day, we train for two hours. I do not understand.”

April 24th 2010: “The defeat to Manchester United was incredible and it would destroy the morale of any squad.”

May 9th 2010: “I have really enjoyed my first season at the club but this is only the beginning. My dream is to help this club become one of the biggest and most successful clubs in the world. What we have to do next is forget about finishing in the top four. That is now a thing of the past. We now need to think about winning the Premier League. That is the right thing for this club and should be our next aim. We need to go all-out for the title and that’s the mindset we need to have from next season.”

August 1st 2010: “I enjoyed so much my two years in Manchester United, but to leave them was the best choice. My era there was finished. City is a smaller team than United, but believe me, it is growing really fast. We played well last season, despite not qualifying for the Champions League.”

September 25th 2010: “When Man United didn’t want me, I had a conversation with Ancelotti but there was never any concrete offer. I only ever talk about proper, written offers – and that was the case with City.”

October 6th 2010: “The only way that I could return to Argentinean football is if my daughter asks me to play again at Boca Juniors, but besides this I see that chance as very difficult. You get tired of having to fight all the time, I want to have some peace. The only way I could return to Argentina is if my daughter or my father asks me to play again at Boca. But if it were up to me I wouldn’t go back to Argentina.”

October 10th 2010: “I have been playing many games this season, and my body is feeling it. I am tired. I started to play when I was really young and I have always fought so much but now I’m feeling the effort. I’m an old guy now, and I started to think about some stuff. For example, I am less tolerant as a person today than I was a few years ago. Then I think – what happens if I quit football as long as I am okay in my life? When I talk about quitting, I mean quitting football, not just the national team. I have worked and fought so hard, and I would love to enjoy my football. But let me tell you I am not enjoying the life of a footballer.”

November 7th 2010: “Will I leave the Premier League? It is possible, but I don’t have a fixed date.”

November 27th 2010: “If you ask me, I would love to have my old life back in my neighbourhood of Fuerte Apache. I don’t want to play anymore. I’m tired of football but I’m also tired of people who work in football. Football is only about money and I don’t like it.”

December 7th 2010: “I’m happy here. I really am.”

December 8th 2010: On ‘Fergie sign him up’ chant – “The thing that would wind up Sir Alex more than anything is for us to win something and really start achieving things. It is not the song that needs to change; it’s the attitude or mindset of our fans. Let’s not be thinking about Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United, we need to think of City and what we can do. What we have got to do is not to devote any of our time to United and just focus on ourselves.”