What The Papers Say - 4 August

The views on this page are taken from the local and national media and do not necessarily reflect the views of Everton.

Joleon Lescott, the Everton defender, has risked a backlash from supporters on the eve of the new season by telling the club that he wants to leave in a bold attempt to force through a move to Manchester City.

Lescott informed David Moyes, the Everton manager, on Monday that he wanted to join City and spent the evening was writing to Bill Kenwright, the chairman, to explain his motives.

It is a huge gamble by Lescott given that there were no guarantees that Kenwright will agree to let him go or that an improved bid from City will be accepted, which raises the prospect of the England defender being deemed an outcast in the event that he is kept at Goodison Park against his wishes.

City are expected to make a third and final offer of up to £22 million and remain optimistic that an agreement will be reached, believing that Everton will not want to keep a player who does not want to play for them, but that fee still falls well short of Everton’s £30 million valuation.
 
Everton fans are notoriously unforgiving and are likely to view Lescott’s decision as an act of betrayal similar to that in which Wayne Rooney, the England forward, submitted a transfer request to help to pave the way for his move to Manchester United in August 2004. Lescott was not due to feature in the pre-season friendly match against Blackpool at Bloomfield Road this evening because of the hip injury that had ruled him out of the 2-2 draw with Coventry City on Sunday, although that is probably just as well given the strong reaction his decision is likely to trigger among supporters at the game, who are likely to be angry at the news.

If a deal cannot be struck between the two clubs, City will turn their attention to Sébastien Bassong, the Newcastle United defender who is out of contract in two years’ time and Sylvain Distin, the former City defender, now at Portsmouth. Alex, the Chelsea defender, is a distant third alternative.

JOLEON LESCOTT has been told he is going nowhere – despite informing David Moyes of his desire to leave Everton.

Lescott met with the Goodison manager yesterday to discuss his future following a summer of intense speculation, with Manchester City having twice failed with bids to sign the 26-year-old.

And the centre-back dropped the bombshell Moyes was dreading to hear by admitting he wants a transfer.

However, the Everton manager responded by stating he has no intention of allowing the England inter-national to depart during the transfer window.

Lescott has so far stopped short of handing in a formal transfer request, but will write to Goodison owner Bill Kenwright detailing his reasons for wanting to leave.

City’s opening bid of £15million and an improved offer of £18m were both instantly dismissed last month by Everton, with Moyes having long stated none of his players are for sale.

The Eastlands outfit were reliant on Lescott agitating for a transfer to help their move for a defender they have tracked since the middle of last season.

And despite the refusal of Moyes to alter his stance, City are almost certain to be encouraged by Lescott’s move and will test Everton’s resolve with a new bid, expected to be in the region of £22m.

David Moyes is weighing up a £12million return raid on Standard Liege to capture skipper Steven Defour.

The Everton boss smashed the club transfer record 11 months ago to land Marouane Fellaini in a £15m switch from the Belgian club and is also a big fan of Defour.

The Belgium midfielder pulls the strings for Liege and Moyes believes he would be a good addition to his squad.

But Everton face competition as Arsenal, Real Madrid and Sevilla are also keeping tabs on him.

Liege director general Pierre Francois insists they will fight to hang on to Defour. "We don't want to sell him," said Francois.

JOLEON Lescott has been told he will not be allowed to leave Everton despite demanding a move to Manchester City.

England defender Lescott, who stands to double his wages to £90,000 a week at Eastlands, asked to quit Goodison Park during a meeting with manager Moyes yesterday.

But Moyes has been unflinching in his stance throughout City’s very public pursuit of Lescott, 26, and was in no mood to cave in when he verbally requested a transfer.

Lescott also plans to write to Everton chairman and owner Bill Kenwright outlining his reasons for wanting to go, but he stands behind Moyes in his desire to hang onto the player.

City boss Mark Hughes has already seen bids of £15million and £18m rejected and must now decide whether to persist with a third approach that would have to be in excess of £22m to provoke Everton to sell.

Hughes may look to Newcastle’s Sebastien Bassong and Chelsea’s Alex as a partner for Kolo Toure.