Juventus striker Carlos Tevez has reportedly flown to his homeland of Argentina amid claims that his father has been kidnapped.
The forward, who played for West Ham United and both Manchester clubs during his Premier League career before joining the Turin giants a year ago, hurriedly left Italy today in a bid to get to the bottom of the situation.
Italian source La Gazzetta dello Sport claims it is not yet clear whether Juan Carlos Cabral is still in the hands of his assailants, or if he has been released.
He is said to have been car-jacked in the early hours of the morning, since when two telephone calls have been placed, requesting ransom money in exchange for his safe return.
The second demand is believed to have been significantly higher than the first, suggesting the kidnappers belatedly realised they had the father of a multi-millionaire under their control.
Tevez is due to arrive in Buenos Aires before the end of the day.
The 30-year-old had been training with team-mates in Turin after being left out of Argentina’s squad for the World Cup campaign in Brazil, despite a successful first season in Serie A.
He helped fire Juve to a third consecutive Scudetto title.