Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini has told manager Roberto Martinez that he wants to leave Goodison Park with Manchester United his likely destination.
The Belgium centre-midfielder was crucial for The Toffees last season and was the club’s top goalscorer, but his intentions are now to leave the club in order to play at the highest level of European football.
Earlier in the summer, Fellaini did have a £23million release clause in his contract, but no club actually made a formal bid for the player, despite Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United all being interested in the 25-year-old.
United did eventually make a £28million bid for both Fellaini and his team-mate Leighton Baines, but the Everton officials were quick to reject the offer labelling it insulting.
It is now thought that United, now managed by former-Everton boss David Moyes, have raised their bid for the duo to £38million after the two players asked the club to leave and allow them to join Moyes at Old Trafford.
Despite not formally handing in a transfer request, it is thought that both Fellaini and Baines have verbally asked the club if they can leave.
In an interview, Roberto Martinez admitted that the side are making back-up plans just in case they lose their two star-players.
He said: ‘The way you work in the transfer market is to always think about the unthinkable. You always have to work in a way which means that if the worst was to happen, and you picked up one or two injuries, you need to replace players.
‘That’s the norm so you always have to work like that.
‘I have told the chairman (Bill Kenwright) I don’t want to know anything that’s going on (with United). I only want to know the final news. I have had enough of “he said this, he said that”.
‘This is sensitive.’
Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt
