EVERTON MANAGER David Moyes has warned potential suitors Marouane Fellaini will command a huge transfer fee if he leaves Goodison Park.
The Belgian international suggested early in the season that his time on Merseyside may be coming to an end and Moyes has gone some length to accepting some of the world’s biggest clubs will soon come knocking.
“I think we’ve got to the stage at Everton where I say, ‘Look, we’ve lost some really good players but I don’t think it’s stopped us from progressing the team’,” Moyes said.
“I’m not in the mood to keep the fight going all the time, because I’ve lost a few players now, but the ones we’ve lost — they’ve paid for. They (big clubs) know where (Fellaini) is, they know where to come and watch him … they know as well that it will be a big price if they are interested.”
Everton have been stung by the loss of top players in recent seasons with Joleon Lescott departing to Manchester City for ₤22 million while Mikel Arteta left for Arsenal for a reported ₤10-million fee two years later.
“We sold Lescott, we sold Arteta and we’ve all felt really down when we’ve lost those players but we’ve had to pick ourselves up and go and find other ones.” Moyes said. ”The club will always be bigger than any player, any manager, and the players we’ve brought in are showing that.”
Chelsea are rumoured to be interested in the services of Fellaini but Moyes stopped short of conceding his star midfielder had already gone.
“It’s taken me a while to realise it. I was dead against losing any player, and still am. Don’t think I’m saying people can come and just take my players,” he said.
“But I’ve a bit more experience, and a bit more perspective, and I realise that if I have top players and can’t give them trophies, cup finals, European football, I might have to accept that’s what they’re thinking.”
