Joleon Lescott - Photo wonker CCA
An interesting take on the possibility of Joleon Lescott going to Manchester City appears in the Mirror today from Alan Nixon, who in the search for a fresh angle on yet another interminable transfer saga says:
Manchester City demand to see Joleon Lescott’s medical records before making new bid
This should be good…
Manchester City want to see England centre half Joleon Lescott’s medical records - before making a new and even bigger bid for him.
City officials want to clear up concerns about Lescott’s historic knee problems and will make the unusual move of asking to check on him ahead of any further offer.
Mark Hughes’s club are already willing to pay £18 million and will go to £22 million if they are satisfied that Lescott has no long-standing problems.
The idea of looking at the confidential documents is to avoid the embarassment of making a huge bid and then possibly seeing the player sent back as damaged goods if he ‘failed’ the actual medical.
However Everton will be reluctant to part with the information, especially as boss David Moyes is determined to hold on to Lescott at any price.
Spot any flaws in this approach? Let’s see:
Why now?
If there is genuine concern over the knee, why on earth would they already have made these bids without seeing his medical records? Is there a ceiling point where £18m million or so is fine for a punt on a player who may fail a medical, but £22m is not? That would be the strategy of lunatics.
Everton’s response
Given Everton do not want to sell him, and have rejected both City’s approaches and Lescott’s transfer request, would it not stand to reason that if Manchester City were to ask for this (which as we’ve seen above makes no sense), that Everton would just say no?
City: Alright guys, we want to make a new massive bid for Lescott.
Everton: But we just told you no a few days ago.
City: Yes, but this one’s even bigger.
Everton: We’re still going to say no.
City: You’re not listening. Only one thing, though - we’ll want to see his medical records first.
Everton: Obviously not.
City: Ah, but if you don’t, we won’t bid.
Everton: Ohh… oh no! Gutted.
Avoiding embarrassment
This is also a weak, weak reason to demand these documents. City have already made big bids for him, and pulling out mid-way through because the medical information doesn’t look right isn’t going to make a great deal of difference to anyone - in fact, they might be perceived as principled for not gambling on a player with long-standing problems. Manchester City, given their bids for Eto’o and Kaka, it must be said, do not appear to be a club afraid of a little embarrassment in the quest to get what they want.
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If the factual parts of the article are this ridiculous, imagine what the opinion part is like on the facts - thanks David Maddock, for helping us understand the situation at Goodison Park:
No one thought Everton would be able to resist Manchester City’s Arab millions on offer for Joleon Lescott, not least because the defender had a patchy campaign last season, and, early on at least, looked the most vulnerable component of a solid Gooodison unit.
Ok, ignore the spelling the mistake of Gooooodison, and he still had a good season, even scoring five goals, and representing England.
But that was ignoring the singular quality of David Moyes. Here is a manager who is so committed to the idea that Everton are a club heading back towards the greatness that is part of their heritage, that he will let nothing get in the way of achieving that goal.
Not even much needed cash to strengthen his squad. And there is a reason behind that.
Yeah, you’d hate ‘much needed cash’ to get in the way of achieving that goal…
If Lescott were allowed to leave, then it would signal to other top clubs that Everton’s best players were buyable.
Mikel Arteta is wanted by many top clubs, and Jack Rodwell has already arrived on the Old Trafford radar. If the Blues simply flogged off their family jewels at the first opportunity, then how long before they lost more diamonds?
‘Flogged off the family jewels’ - isn’t that a euphemism for something?
Lescott may still go, but if he does it will be for a ridiculous fee after some serious hard bargaining. And that will send out a simple message to other clubs.
Everton will only sell if the money gets so preposterously high that it is impossible to resist. And remember, even Manchester United got to that point when Real Madrid offered £70million for Cristiano Ronaldo.
Unbelievable. The most famous transfer, possibly of all time, has been talked about all summer, famous in no small part because of how much he cost, and you’ve got the fee wrong. Good try though.
In the meantime, the Goodison faithful can rest easy that their club is in the capable hands of a man who believes in Everton, and who will do everything possible to return them to their rightful place amongst the game’s elite.
And the Mirror can rest easy knowing that they have such wonderful experts to explain these things to us.
I saw this on the BBC gossip column this morning and it was my thoughts exactly.
The logic - Man City say, we demand to see the medical records before we improve the offer. Everton simply say, well we don’t want the imrpoved offer, where is the reward in showing you his records?
Simple economics, supply and demand. Everton don’t want the money yet City are pretty happy to supply it.