The future of Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini has been debated over the past few days. Is it inevitable they will lose him?
Belgium midfielder Marouane Fellaini got Everton fans all in a twist when it was revealed he was thinking of leaving the Merseyside club at the weekend.
He has since denied the fact he wants to quit Goodison, but being realistic, he is just 24. Many of his international teammates are testing themselves in the Champions League. He will want to do the same.
So a transfer away from Everton has to happen eventually right, doesn’t it?
Not necessarily. If the Toffees can themselves become Champions League contenders, then the whole picture is turned on it’s head.
No longer will the player have to look to move away from a club he clearly enjoys being a part of, he will have all he needs right in front of him.
For Everton to gatecrash the top four will not be easy, but at this early stage they have every reason to approach the season with the positivity it could just happen.
Rivals Liverpool will be aiming for a top four place this season (although it seems a long way off right now) but Everton finished a place above them last season so they too should set their sights high.
More poignantly the model Everton should look to follow is Newcastle, who by spending modestly finished fifth last season and were in the mix right up until last season’s final two games.
Everton face Newcastle next Monday, and it is an opportunity to lay down a marker. If Everton win they will be on nine points out of a possible 12, and will have beaten two top five teams from last season along the way, Manchester United being the other.
For a side which is noted for finishing strongly and finishing in and around sixth or seventh, a good start rather than their usual poor one opens up new opportunities and potential.
The Toffees have strengthened over the summer, and the potential goal threat of Kevin Mirallas added to Nikica Jelavic is an exciting prospect.
Again looking at Newcastle, the Toon have been able to keep hold of all their major stars after their competitive season last time out. Even though they narrowly missed out on the Champions League, the fact they got so close was clearly enough for Ba, Krul, Tiote and co. They will want to build on that of course, but a less productive season could have seen one if not more of them push for an exit.
In an article earlier today we commented that it would be wise for one of his suitors to put in a bid in January because he is not cup-tied in Europe. If Everton are still in the hunt for a top four place by then the midfielder may even resist a move regardless of the offer, just to carry on what he started.
It won’t be easy, and there is no certainty Fellaini will leave the club, but Everton can do their chances of keeping their star midfielder the world of good by pushing for and maintaining a strong bid for a Champions League spot.
Will Champions League football be enough to keep Fellaini? Can Everton do it?
image: © zachleat
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