Fed-up Everton manager David Moyes has launched a blistering attack on Manchester City’s behaviour over their attempts to prise Joleon Lescott from Goodison Park.
City have had two bids of £15 million and £18 million rejected for Lescott, while the centre-back has handed in a written transfer request which has been turned down by Moyes.
Now the Scot has hit out at Mark Hughes after the City boss declared his club would sidestep the Goodison chief to get Lescott.
Moyes told Sky Sports News: "He (Hughes) said that he was looking to speak to the people who make the decisions. Well he knows who makes the decisions at Everton: it's me.
"He's never once picked up the phone and given me a phone call, so you're not going to get the answer. I'm the one who makes the decisions here, not like other clubs.
"The way it has been handled is disgusting and all it has done is disrupt our club and made it very difficult for us. Maybe that's what the overall plan was.
"Joleon's head has been twisted and I cannot say the way things have been done is right, it is not how we do things at this club.
"But maybe their football club is different. I control things here, maybe it is not quite the same there."
He added: "When Real Madrid signed Cristiano Ronaldo they did so at the end of last season. They paid United what they felt was the right price and gave them the chance to spend it.
"That's not the case with this one. We can't be getting offers with only a week or two to go to the deadline and the offers they made show that we value Joleon Lescott far greater than Man City do.
"Joleon's a massive player for us, I've always said we don't want to lose him, we think so much of him here, the players think so much of him. We don't want Joleon to go, simple as that."
And Moyes put extra pressure on the Eastlands manager by declaring he should lift the Premier League title this season after spending so much money.
The Everton chief said: "If I'd spent that amount I'd be thinking of having to challenge and win it.
"You need time to bed in signings, but they are Premier League players, internationals from Arsenal, Argentina and Aston Villa coming in - although I'm more interested in Everton than City."
Related links:
Team
Personal
Also see:
City have had two bids of £15 million and £18 million rejected for Lescott, while the centre-back has handed in a written transfer request which has been turned down by Moyes.
Now the Scot has hit out at Mark Hughes after the City boss declared his club would sidestep the Goodison chief to get Lescott.
Moyes told Sky Sports News: "He (Hughes) said that he was looking to speak to the people who make the decisions. Well he knows who makes the decisions at Everton: it's me.
"He's never once picked up the phone and given me a phone call, so you're not going to get the answer. I'm the one who makes the decisions here, not like other clubs.
"The way it has been handled is disgusting and all it has done is disrupt our club and made it very difficult for us. Maybe that's what the overall plan was.
"Joleon's head has been twisted and I cannot say the way things have been done is right, it is not how we do things at this club.
"But maybe their football club is different. I control things here, maybe it is not quite the same there."
He added: "When Real Madrid signed Cristiano Ronaldo they did so at the end of last season. They paid United what they felt was the right price and gave them the chance to spend it.
"That's not the case with this one. We can't be getting offers with only a week or two to go to the deadline and the offers they made show that we value Joleon Lescott far greater than Man City do.
"Joleon's a massive player for us, I've always said we don't want to lose him, we think so much of him here, the players think so much of him. We don't want Joleon to go, simple as that."
And Moyes put extra pressure on the Eastlands manager by declaring he should lift the Premier League title this season after spending so much money.
The Everton chief said: "If I'd spent that amount I'd be thinking of having to challenge and win it.
"You need time to bed in signings, but they are Premier League players, internationals from Arsenal, Argentina and Aston Villa coming in - although I'm more interested in Everton than City."
Please subscribe to our RSS feed to receive more updates. You can also subscribe by Email and enjoy our latest posts sent directly to your inbox.
Related links:
Team
Personal
Also see:
