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As a deal is about to be struck for the transfer of Joleon Lescott to Manchester City, the background to this transfer makes one reflect on the motives of the modern day footballer. Last season Everton finished fifth while City finished tenth. City are certainly a better team this season but is there really that much difference between the sides to support Lescott for wanting to leave Everton for footballing reasons?
Everton have enjoyed a terrible start to the season but they are much better than most of the other teams in the league. They will eventually gather some form and return to Europa League contention. With the likes of Yakubu and Arteta to return, Everton should once again become a very solid outfit.
City, on the other hand, is a team littered with attacking stars with question marks still remaining over their defense. A better indication of where they lie will be gained when they come up against some of the stronger teams in the league. Also, it will be intriguing to see how the likes of Robinho and Adebayor play on the cold nights in winter against physical outfits like Bolton and Stoke.
This leaves you wondering why Lescott so desperately wants to join City. Everton gave this player a chance by taking him from Wolves when they were lying in the Championship. In his time at Everton he has come into contention for the national team and has become one of the most consistent defenders in the league. So handing in a transfer request was his way of saying thanks for the faith David Moyes showed.
The £40,000 a week he earns currently at Everton is clearly not good enough for him and the prospect of a huge increase at City is certainly a big attraction. As with Gareth Barry, loyalty to the club is meaningless and the thought of £100,000 a week is the only reason for moving.
We shouldn’t put the total blame on Lescott given the majority of footballers take the same attitude. If Sir Alex Ferguson resigned tomorrow and Moyes was offered the job, would he show any loyalty to Everton? No, of course not would be the answer. The transfer has unsettled the rest of the Everton team and has been a factor in their poor start to the season. The transfer fee is way over the top for a player who has only got seven England caps and is not going to improve any further. Moyes will be delighted to have funds to buy 3 or 4 quality players to improve his team.
Finally, if Lescott was joining Manchester United or Chelsea then it would be reasonable to assume it would be to further his career but the fact he is joining a team of a similar level does not reflect well on his motivation for the move.
Is Lescott moving in the wrong direction? Have your say below!
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On the very least, Man City are very good in paper. Good enough to brake the top 4, maybe even contend for the title. The move is definitely to further his career, as well as increase his paycheck…