Joleon Lescott is the New Dimitar Berbatov

By: Daryl | August 17th, 2009

Usually when someone’s the new someone, it’s because of superficial similarities in playing style. Yoanne Gourcuff is the new Zinedine Zidane, for example (even if he isn’t). Everton’s Joleon Lescott could not be less like Dimitar Berbatov if he tried. He’s an all action big defender, rarely does any type of fancy flick and has probably never even considered the possibility of wearing an alice band.

But Lescott is sharing one unavoidable similarity with Berba right now: His desire for a transfer has ruined Everton’s start to the 2009/10 season, just as Berbatov’s desire to leave for Man Utd ruined Spurs‘ start to 2008/9.

Man City have bid £22m for Lescott, and he wants to go. He’s even put in a transfer request, which was rejected. But David Moyes rejected City’s (insanely high) offer and sent Lescott out to face Arsenal on Saturday. Here’s how that went:

I’m not saying the 6-1 defeat was all Lescott’s fault. Just as all Spurs’ defeats early last season were not Dimitar Berbatov’s fault. But clearly their respective transfer sagas are and were a massive distraction, and we’ve all seen Lescott play a lot better than he did on Saturday.

It’s admirable that David Moyes wants to stand up to Man City and not bow before their fortune. but when they’re offering more than a player is worth, and that player’s presence is causing problems in a usually tight-knit and organized team, then the only option is to sell.

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Category: English Premier League

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David Moyes

20m plus Micah Richards and Michael Johnson and they've got themselves a deal.
Thad

I think the problem Moyes is having is that losing Lescott calls into question his entire project at Everton. I am not surprised he's holding on, and I wonder if it will eventually lead to a confrontation b/w Moyes and Kenwright if the latter decides (or has already decided) that the only rational move is to sell.

From a City point of view paying over the odds in this case is okay, because in my view there's a big gulf between Lescott and the next best possible targets (probably Upson) that meet the minimum requirements, namely proven EPL quality and a clear improvement over Dunne.

In my view, Everton should settle at 25 million, get the deal done now, then try to get in 3 new quality players before the transfer deadline. With Europa League on offer, they probably could get some pretty decent players in at 8 million a pop. The worst thing to do would be to claim they are going to hold out, then sell at the last moment before the window shuts with no time to do a deal for other players.