The big questions facing Everton as Manchester City battle for Lescott

The big spenders of Eastlands may have angered David Moyes - but the Goodison boss must ultimately decide what is best for the club. The Joleon Lescott transfer saga has turned into a game of tug-of-war and one that might have no victors whatsoever. Manchester City are desperate for the player and Lescott himself has submitted a transfer request. But Everton manager David Moyes, with the same determination and grit that has characterised his time in the Goodison hot-seat, is refusing to budge. Lescott – keen to engineer a move – has also formally written to both Moyes and Toffees chairman Bill Kenwright outlining the reasons behind his desire to leave. Let’s hope he had the good taste not to simply handover a piece of paper with '£80k a week' printed on it in preposterously large letters. After rejecting two bids worth over £15m, Moyes has also publicly chastised Manchester City about their handling of the affair and accused them of ‘lacking class’. But a few questions have to be raised. Does this posturing exist because a rival club is attempting to sign a key player? Is it merely a tactic to get a cash-rich club to pay (well) above market value? Or is it because players’ contracts are sacrosanct and must be honoured?

Aquilani to Liverpool for £15m - calculated risk or Benitez blunder?

The signing of the Italian midfielder as replacement for the departed Xabi Alonso may turn out to be an inspired move by Rafa. But the question marks surrounding his long-term fitness are enormous

Liverpool's £21m goldmine: The FOUR players who should be sold!

Apparently Rafa doesn't have much in the way of cash. If only we could offload this quartet.

Why F1 loser Piquet was always destined to finish behind Alonso

Since joining Renault for the 2008 season, Nelson Piquet Jnr has struggled in the shadows of Formula One's closest relationship. "If you listen to the pit-wall radio, it's like a joke. He hasn't got a clue what is happening in the race". This was Nelson Piquet Jnr's rather frank assessment of Renault figurehead Flavio Briatore after being told in the F1 summer break that he was to lose his race seat with the French team. Speculation regarding Piquet's future has been rife throughout the 2009 season. To the outside fan, his performances this year have been well below par. Every avid F1 follower knows that partnering and matching Fernando Alonso, who is widely-regarded as the most complete driver on the grid, is no easy task, especially within the confines of his beloved Renault team. However, Piquet's performances, especially in qualifying, have stood out like a very sore thumb. Alonso out-qualified him in every race bar one (the rain-affected session at the Nurburgring), and their differences in grid positions, even with the closest grid in terms of lap times in the sport's history, have been astounding at times to the outsider.

Manchester City's sordid Lescott dealing puts Moyes' Everton job on line

As discussions move to boardroom level, the Goodison manager's 'Joleon stays' vow may have left him in an impossible situation. Manchester City's disgusting, relentless pursuit of Everton defender Jeloen Lescott has served to highlight everything that is rotten, degrading and totally unethical about the today's transfer system. We've always known about the “tapping” and illegal approaches, about the back-handers, the double-dealing with salaries and merchandising. We also know that a contract is not worth the paper it's written on when it comes to trading players. But Mark Hughes and Manchester City have dragged the whole procedure down to a new subterranean level that not only guarantees great disruption within the Everton boardroom but actually threatens to unseat manager David Moyes. Not content with Moyes's clear and unequivocal statement that Lescott would not be allowed to leave Goodison Park, City have continued to pester and pile on the agony – as you might expect from a club to whom the value of the pound means absolutely nothing. It's ironical, but by no means unusual, that the day after Everton's latest rebuff, Lescott asked for a transfer, which heaped even more pressure on Moyes.

Why Fabregas is staying at Arsenal - and Messi not arriving from Barcelona

The European champions have made a strong play to take the Gunners skipper home to Spain. But he's staying at the Emirates - at least for now.

Arsene Wenger has made it clear: "How can people think we will sell Cesc Fabregas now, one day before the season starts?"

He's confident about the situation. His skipper is fully committed to the club - and the European kings won't be able to change that, though Barcelona are still hoping to bring back the playmaker to his former club.

"We are not in a weak financial position," claimed the French tactician.

Sure, Arsenal have already sold two of their talented stars. They will not have to sell Fabregas, and that means they won't.

Lose the Spanish ace, and it's practically goodbye to the Premier League trophy and maybe a Champions League position.

The problem, it seems, is with the player himself. There have been rumours about his dream return to Spain circulating for a few months.

Learn from Spurs' mistake, Moyes - and take the Liverpool way over Lescott

It's inevitable the England defender will join Manchester City, so Everton should be planning for the future now.