Manchester United were defeated by Belgian midfielder Fellaini’s header at Goodison Park, and have been linked with a potential transfer of him ever since.
‘Marouane Fellaini is the missing piece in Manchester United’s jigsaw’ cried the headline from one Red Devils blog in the immediate aftermath of his ‘comments’ reported in the Belgian media during international week.
The player has sought to address the speculation himself on his own personal Facebook page, posting ‘I was very surprised to read in some newspapers that I will leave Everton very soon and perhaps next January, let me remind you that I am very happy in Liverpool and our start of the championship was good. Kevin Mirallas and some other good players joined us to make a better squad. So with Everton, I am ready to play all the season and to reach our goals of this season.’
But even so, his words as reported in Belgium “I am just starting my fifth season at Everton, this will be one of my last. I have seen everything. In January or at the end of the season I will turn to another club or championship,” will give encouragement to the very few clubs who would be able to afford his signature.
Setting his comments aside for a moment, he would command a hefty price tag, quite likely in the region of £30 million. The 24-year-old would be worth every penny.
So would he be the missing piece United need? That of course remains to be seen, but the Belgian would certainly add qualities to the club’s midfield that they have been missing.
The midfielder has shone against the club on several occasions because they have nobody able to match his physical yet athletic style of play. United may get away without a player like Fellaini eight or nine times out of 10, but when they do come up against formiddable opponents they have been found out.
Take Manchester City. In competitive matches Yaya Toure has played against United, City have won the last three. United got the 3-2 win in this year’s FA Cup when Toure was absent, but when they met in the cup at Wembley the season before it finished 1-0 with the Ivory Coast midfielder scoring the winner.
Everton have a good record against City, and Fellaini has been a part of that. We are not saying it is simple for United, add Fellaini and hey presto, but with a player similar in stature, style, and ability to Toure, they would stand a better chance of bettering the champions, and having not added to their midfield this summer it remains to be seen whether the club do have an answer for him.
Could United afford him? Their finances are an enigma at the best of times thanks to a lack of clarity from the Glazers. Nevertheless the board have sanctioned big bids in their period of ownership, including the signings of Berbatov and Van Persie.
They were also reported to have bid big money for Lucas Moura in the summer, a player Sir Alex Ferguson admitted interest in, confirming they do want to add a midfielder to their side, if they feel the player and the money is right.
Having seen Fellaini influence a 3-3 draw and score in a 4-4 draw against them and the recent 1-0 win, United know more than most of the player’s value.
They won’t be the only ones interested, in the aftermath of the weekend’s reports, Chelsea and Arsenal were both linked with a transfer, and Everton fans must admit that at some stage, and at the right price, the player could well leave the club.
Is that time this season? What United, and any other clubs interested, should consider is that there may well be no smoke without fire.
Fellaini may be happy at Everton, but if the right offer came in, surely he would follow former teammate Mikel Arteta in chasing his dream, and with so many of his international colleagues playing for Champions League clubs he will be ambitious to realise that leaving the Toffees is the right career move.
So United should test the waters with a big bid this January. There is surely no reason not to. The player’s arrival mid-season would give the club a considerable boost, both in terms of options and morale, at a time when they usually kick-on, and inspire their challenge in the Premier League and Europe.
The key point, Fellaini is not cup-tied in Europe this season. So many of the top clubs do not do business in January because their key targets are unavailable.
If the Belgian midfielder is a target for United, and his comments whatever the truth behind them, should only intrigue the club, then January is not too early to enquire about a potential transfer. If they leave it too late, somebody else might just get in their first.
Would Everton sell mid-season if a huge offer came in? What should the asking price be?
image: © nicksarebi
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