From the Times today (no direct link available as you have to be a subscriber to access):
Arsenal look set to be foiled in their attempts to sign Phil Jagielka because of Everton’s determination to hold on to a player whom David Moyes regards as one of the country’s best central defenders.
Having rejected a £12 million offer from the London club, Everton are expecting Arsène Wenger to return with an improved bid, but that also appears to be doomed to fail after Moyes’s resolute stance in insisting that Jagielka is not for sale was backed by Bill Kenwright, the chairman at Goodison Park.
Moyes sees no value in selling the 28-year-old, particularly at the kind of valuations that have been mentioned thus far, because he views Jagielka as being at least the equal of Joleon Lescott, the central defender whom Everton sold to Manchester City for £22 million two years ago.
Everton are bemused by suggestions that negotiations are under way and are unwilling to consider doing business at a price of £18 million. The Goodison club are aware that Gary Cahill, the Bolton Wanderers defender, is available for a similar fee and given that Jagielka is ahead in the England pecking order, Everton value him considerably higher and are eager to keep him on Merseyside.
“Hopefully none of the top players will leave but we definitely need to strengthen our team a bit,” Sylvain Distin, Jagielka’s fellow defender, said. “If you look at the teams around us, they have got three or four if not five players, and quality players, too.”
