Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez has declared that he wants to leave the club this summer but has asked for the fans' understanding.
His long-term future remained the subject of intense speculation but manager Roberto Mancini always expressed confidence that he would stay.
Mancini stated over the weekend that he planned to keep Tevez after a proposed swap deal with Inter Milan for Samuel Eto'o fell through.
City's FA Cup success and UEFA Champions League qualification also appeared to boost their chances of holding on to the 27-year-old, but the reasons for his decision are more personal.
Tevez has never made a secret of the fact that he misses his children, who have been living with their mother back in Argentina, and he wants to put their interests first.
The news that he is again seeking a departure will come as a major blow to City, considering the impact he has made since controversially joining from local rivals Manchester United in 2009.
Tevez's announcement comes on the same day that City made their first signing of the summer, bringing in Gael Clichy from Arsenal.
But Tevez, who has scored 53 goals in 86 appearances for City, has seemingly left no room for manoeuvre by expanding on his thoughts.
He wishes the club well and has enjoyed being part of their success, but does not feel he can carry on with his family circumstances the way they are.
"It is with great regret that I have to inform Manchester City of my wish to leave the club," he said in a statement.
"I would like to state that I have great respect for the club, its supporters and the owner, Sheikh Mansour, who has been nothing other than respectful to me.
Challenging
"I hope that the people understand the difficult circumstances I have been living under the past 12 months, in regards to my family.
"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.
"Being captain of Manchester City, qualifying for the Champions League, winning the FA Cup and finishing as top-scorer last season has made me very proud.
"I hope that most of the City fans will understand that I have given them my all on the pitch and that my dedication to the City cause has been 100% on the pitch.
"I hope I have done my bit to help City continue their progress towards their ambition to be champions of England and to advance in the Champions League.
"I have no doubt that the players and management of City will achieve great success in the future."
Manchester City have yet to respond to the statement and attempts to speak with Tevez will be complicated due to his present commitment to Argentina at the Copa America.