'Keep off ' £25m Arteta - TalkSoccer

**Dellas** · 01-01-2008, 02:59 PM

Toffees price Arteta out of Valencia's league

Quote:

Everton have warned off Spanish side Valencia by reportedly placing a massive £25million valuation on playmaker Mikel Arteta.

Arteta is wanted by the Spanish side after being in fantastic form this season but Everton - who are pushing for a UEFA Champions League place - do not want to sell.

Valencia's sporting director Miguel Angel Ruiz recently spent three days trying to persuade the Toffees to part with the playmaker.

He made a £15million bid but was told by Everton that they would be reluctant to sell Arteta even for £25 million.

The Spanish side were also prepared to offer midfielder Manuel Fernandes as part of the deal, but the Toffees rejected that offer as well.

Speaking of the situation, a frustrated Ruiz told the Daily Mirror: "The sort of money Everton wanted was impossible for us and showed they are not interested in any kind of deal."

Arteta was the top transfer target of Valencia boss Ronald Koeman and it was thought the Spanish playmaker may wish to move home to boost his international chances.

But Arteta does not want to leave the Toffees, according to his agent Inaki Ibanez.

Ibanez said: "I am aware of the interest, but any deal is down to Everton and whether they want to sell but the player is also very happy and does not want to leave."

source: Sky Sports | Football | Primera Division | Valencia | 'Keep off ' £25m Arteta

Good idea by Everton stamp out any kind of deal that Valencia wanted...Everton are keen to keep him as can be seen from this article and move.

Of course he isn't worth that much but a gd tactic by Everton employed here...gets rid of the suitors.

**unitedfan** · 01-01-2008, 03:09 PM

Well, by my book I'd value him around £18m in the modern market, so not all that far off. Everton have always been quick to stamp out interest early on when it comes to Arteta.

**Evertonscouser** · 01-01-2008, 03:09 PM

Must not sell him under any circumastances. Too important to us.

**Dellas** · 01-01-2008, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unitedfan

Well, by my book I'd value him around £18m in the modern market, so not all that far off. Everton have always been quick to stamp out interest early on when it comes to Arteta.

Oh yeah he is really important to Everton...I never meant to say that he wasn't worth a lot just he isn't worth 25mill

**kyan** · 01-01-2008, 06:24 PM

I reckon that he's worth pretty close to £20M in the modern market as well, especially cos I think it's really debatable about who the best player outside the "Big 4" is between Arteta and Berbatov.

I do find it incredible though that no really big teams have come in for Arteta though, Valencia are pretty big but are in self-destruct but I find it weird that there doesn't seem to be much interest higher up the ladder.

**unitedfan** · 01-01-2008, 07:08 PM

Like I say, Everton stamp out interest early on. There's a lot of stabillity at Everton with Moyes there, the clubs fortunes have always been looking up and Arteta is the main man there, with no dispute of that. Arteta has never really sought a move, and his career hasn't been a case of climbing the ladder the whole way through. He was out on loan at PSG before Barca looked twice at him, then Rangers, then Sociedad - he's already been on the end of being on the fringes of a big club, had titles in Scotland, and had a nomadic spell of playing for 4 clubs in 4 years. Now that he has stabillity at a club on good standing, with past experiences of the rough of football, he's not about to complain and seek a move.

As for clubs not going in for him - he's unlucky to have never had a senior cap, which, in particular, lessens interest from abroad. Arsenal have never shoped in England for stars like Arteta, he's never gonna move to Liverpool, and United haven't really sought a winger in the last 2 years, except when money was tight and we signed Park for £4m, and when we went for Nani, benefitting from our link with Sporting and eyeing his potential to succeed over time, rather than now. Chelsea is the only club in England that I could think of having had use of Arteta, and their sights were firmly set on Wright-Phillips when they were in the hunt, and look how that one turned out for him.

nvn04 · 02-01-2008, 04:27 AM

If he were ever to move to a big club, I only see him moving to a Spanish one as he's from there, but he doesn't seem to want to go anywhere. As unitedfan said, he's found stability. Personally I'm glad to hear he wants to stay, definitely one of the best players outside the big 4, and Everton have been looking good with him