Martinez plans summer Mirallas and Lennon talks

, 10 April, 40comments  |  Jump to most recent

Roberto Martinez has given his first indication that the club will look to try and acquire Aaron Lennon in the summer.
Roberto Martinez says that he will address the respective futures of Kevin Mirallas and Aaron Lennon when the next seven games are out of the way.

When both fit, the two players have been vying for the one wide role that has been available in the Catalan's team of late and will likely do so again tomorrow when the starting lineup is announced for the match against Swansea.

Whether both are still at Goodison Park when the 2015-16 campaign kicks off is another matter, however, with Mirallas restless for Champions League football and Lennon waiting to see if a permanent deal between his parent club Tottenham and the Blues can be concluded when the transfer window opens.

Martinez has repeated his stance that the final matches of the current campaign will dictate his squad-building plans for next season and that he isn't look beyond the 2014-15 run-in.

“I know there have been a couple of times [Mirallas has] had quotes translated from interviews,” the manager is quoted by MailOnline. “I don't think anything he has said is disrespectful or out of the norm. The way I see it he's one of those players who loves playing football and he hasn't got any other motivation.

“He still has a two year contract. If he were out of contract, I would be worried, but all I want is for him to be fully recovered.

“[Lennon has] been a really impressive footballer,” Martinez continues. “The way he's engaged with the other players has been quite impressive. I think he's brought know-how and experience but also that freshness of wanting to show what he can do.

“The next seven games will be very important to see if he can carry on enjoying his football and then like any loan situation it's a three way conversation that, first of all, the player needs to see that experience as a positive one and then we'll see what the parent club wants to do. “But it's not a decision we need to make now. The next seven games is an eternity in football.”

 

Reader Comments (40)

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Timothy Sebastian
1 Posted 11/04/2015 at 02:23:16
Neither will be here next season.
Mark Andersson
2 Posted 11/04/2015 at 02:39:58
I think Spurs will want over the odds, and Everton will pay up.

The fact Martinez is still the manager shows the clubÂ’s lack of ambition.

Lennon and Cleverly brought in will be phenomenal business....

James Flynn
3 Posted 11/04/2015 at 04:30:20
Mirallas is under contract, Timothy. Why wonÂ’t he be here next season? Lennon is not under contract to Everton. So he will or wonÂ’t be in the squad next season. But Mirallas gone? I donÂ’t get it. YouÂ’re hardly the first with this pronouncement of his departure. Gone to where?

He can go to Stoke, Swansea, a club like that; maybe Spurs. I say heÂ’s going nowhere and we hope for the best with him next season.

On Lennon? No problem with me he wonÂ’t be here. They come and they go. HeÂ’s only still around because of his lightning pace. HeÂ’s flat not a footballer

Laurie Hartley
4 Posted 11/04/2015 at 05:24:31
Lyndon I hope this isnÂ’t off topic but I donÂ’t get this :-

"When both fit, the two players have been vying for the one wide role that has been available in the CatalanÂ’s team of late"

Why would you play with only one wide man if a wide man if, as I understand it, is a winger?

In my neanderthal understanding of the game of football thatÂ’s a bit like playing with only one full back isnÂ’t it?

Surely you have two of each in either of those positions?

I read an article recently about how Ancelotti sets up Real Madrid - he defends in a 4-4-2 formation and attacks in a 4-3-3 formation. According to Ancelloti 4-4-2 "is the best defensive system".

So getting back to Mirallas and Lennon, I would love to see us playing AncellotiÂ’s system with a "wide man" on each side of Lukaku when we attack and one of them dropping back into midfield when we are defending.

Mirallas and Lennon look tailor made for that system so I would like to see us keep both of them.

John Raftery
5 Posted 11/04/2015 at 06:38:07
I agree Laurie. In my view the two players give us width but offer different strengths. Mirallas scores goals but is weaker with the defensive side of his play. Lennon scores infrequently but has surprised us with his work rate which has helped shield Coleman in defence.
Lyndon Lloyd
6 Posted 11/04/2015 at 06:57:39
Laurie, my point was that while a balanced team does indeed play with two wide men or wingers, Martinez appears to have dispensed with that notion altogether this season.

Should Pienaar start at Swansea with Lennon on the other flank, we may get back to some semblance of that missing balance but Roberto's preference for the last few weeks/months has been to use one winger and then play Naismith and Barkley off Lukaku... with one of them (presumably) given some loose instruction to play wider than the other.

James Marshall
7 Posted 11/04/2015 at 07:29:16
Lennon works harder, has about the same end-product, tracks back, is pacier and a bit older/wiser so I'd keep him and sell Mirallas to West Ham or whoever else wants him.

I've backed him for most of his career, and don't begrudge him a move to a CL team - good luck to him. I just think Lennon offers more than Mirallas as a team player rather than someone who likes to flit in & out of certain games.

Lennon might not be able to cross the ball but the neither can Mirallas and the simple fact Lennon works so hard makes him worth keeping. He breaks up oppo attacks more often than our defensive midfielders!

Laurie Hartley
8 Posted 11/04/2015 at 08:03:51
Sorry Lyndon if I came across as questioning you - that wasn't my intention. It seems we are both on the same wave length.

I too would love to see Pienaar back against Swansea with Lennon on the other wing. Perfect foils for Baines and Coleman. Balance indeed. Whoever played up front in that set up, be it Lukaku, Kone, or even Mirallas, would benefit.

I know Mirallas hasn't covered himself in glory this year but he is not Robinson Crusoe - I do think we should try to hang on to him.

Couldn't keep a wry smile on this comment in your post "Martinez appears to have dispensed with that notion altogether this season." On second thoughts I'm not going there.

I'll just keep doing what I have been doing since Christmas - hoping for the best one game at a time.

Trevor Peers
9 Posted 11/04/2015 at 08:41:51
Of course Lennon will be here next season he's impressed Roberto with some excellent displays since he arrived on loan he has a bit of grit in his character which we badly need.
As for Mirallas I can't see him changing his attitude he wants to move on and it shows in his body language on the field he looks disinterested and isn't putting the effort in. That can't be tolerated and should be sold IMO.
Ben Dyke
10 Posted 11/04/2015 at 11:21:44
We won't get more for Mirallas than it costs to get lennon sadly but I'd do a swap with Tottenham. Mirallas is one of the players that gets you off your seat with his running and free kick and goals but the amount of times his selfishness has cost us an easy goal is far too high and live long in the memory. Lennon misses some of Mirallas abilities but is a much better team player.
Oscar Huglin
11 Posted 11/04/2015 at 11:51:29
I'd rather have Lennon than Mirallas at the start of next season. He works so much harder for the team and has always been a player I have enjoyed watching. A selfless winger could be exactly what Coleman needs to find his form on that right side as well, as he seems to have done recently with Lennon.

I agree with everything RM said in this interview. Let the players make their cases for the rest of the season, and let's push for a top half finish.

Mark Frere
12 Posted 11/04/2015 at 12:25:49
Dainiel Levy is notoriously hard to deal with and he always wants more than the market value for his deadwood players. He will try and pull our pants down with Lennon. Furthermore, is Lennon of the quality that is going to turn us into a top 6 club again? The answer is no. He's a fucking headless chicken who can't pass or cross the ball with any quality. His only saving grace is that he can run fast and works hard.

Iv'e said on other threads, when we're paying players £60k a week, we should be buying players which have quality as well as work-rate. We obviously don't have the financial clout of Man City but we aren't fucking Burnley either! We have the entire globe to scout players and don't need to buy over-priced mediocrity like Lennon.

I think we should cut our losses with Mirallas. It's pretty obvious he doesn't want to be here any longer. Lets just get as much money as possible for him and buy a worthy replacement. Mirallas on his day is top class (anyone remember him against West Ham this season in FA Cup? He was outstanding).

Trouble is, his day doesn't happen often enough and he can be frustrating. He seems the sulky type and in his own mind, he probably thinks he's better than Eden Hazard. The reality is, he's inconsistent, a little injury prone and not quite as good as he thinks he is. Kevin is talented though and does chip in with goals and assists but the time has come to part company and find a replacement. Deulofeu perhaps?

Richard Reeves
13 Posted 11/04/2015 at 13:13:12
I would keep Mirallas but, as others have said, if we do sell, let’s get the highest price we can. There are plenty of young quality attacking midfielders/wingers out there.

Lennon, I wouldn’t bother with. We need to be aiming to progress and for that we need better quality.

David Booth
14 Posted 11/04/2015 at 19:23:47
If we are not careful – and the rumours about Cleverley are to be believed – we are going to end up with a whole team signed, trained and played just to run fast and work hard.

I love Mirallas for being the way he is. So what if he is selfish? He's exciting. He's unpredictable. He has flair. He can tear a defence apart from the halfway line and score. And he frightens defenders with his directness and pace.

Are the days of the likes of him and Deulofeu destined to be just a fleeting memory, as Roberto reveals his true colours and we develop a team based on journeymen like Naismith, Lennon, Cleverley, McCarthy (who, much as I rate him, doesn't do much else), Barry and whichever other second hand bargains we can bag for a few bob in the sales?

One good season and one worryingly bad one coming to a close in a few weeks' time.

Never mind the critical second series or second album... it's the third where we're going to know if we're going anywhere or not.

Right now, the signs are not good and deals such as Mirallas out/Lennon in, would be a huge step backwards in my opinion.

Denis Richardson
15 Posted 11/04/2015 at 19:24:10
Mirallas won't be at Everton next season. The guy wants to move on and there is no way the club will let him leave on a free next summer (he only has one year left on his contract not two Roberto....), so it's a case of him going to whoever bids the highest this summer.

Lennon is obviously playing for a contract so I'm not surprised he's impressed the manager with this 'work rate'. Whether the same intensity will remain should he be given a permanent contract is another matter.

Barry is a case in point, playing for a World Cup place and a new contract last season, his performances this season have been far below the level of last season's. Whether that has anything to do with his 3-year permanent deal, who knows.

Personally I'd sell Mirallas to the highest bidder and send Lennon back to Spurs as you're onto a loser from the off trying to get a good deal out of Levy. I certainly hope we don't splash £6-7M on a player Spurs don't want and whose contract runs out next year. Not overwhelmed by Lennon tbh and certainly not for the rumoured £6-7M for a 28-year-old who'll have zero value when his contract runs out.

Colin Glassar
16 Posted 11/04/2015 at 19:43:40
I have to agree with some of the above re Lennon. Yes, he works hard for the team; yes, he is quick... but Levy will squeeze us for every last penny. I'd prefer us to try and find a similar, younger player elsewhere before opting for Lennon who I wouldn't pay a penny over £5M for.

As for Mirallas, well he can sod off. Never really rated him and after the WBA game he can do one.

Mick Wrende
17 Posted 11/04/2015 at 20:48:19
Please can we sign someone who is exciting to watch. Someone who can take a man on and beat them. We have no-one and signing Cleverley would be the pits – we have so many like him. This is the first Everton team in nearly 60 years that I can honestly say there is no-one I actually want to go and see.
Dave Abrahams
18 Posted 11/04/2015 at 21:10:28
Mick (#17),

I know exactly what mean and how you must feel watching the Blues. Everything is so bland and ordinary, nothing happens for minutes on end and the worst part is you don't even expect anything out of the ordinary anymore. It's never been has bad as this for a long time; something has got to change... but I do not think it will change under Roberto.

Eric Myles
19 Posted 12/04/2015 at 03:24:30
David #14 "We are going to end up with a whole team signed, trained and played just to run fast and work hard."

But they won't be fit enough to last more than 45 minutes if this season is anything to go by.

Pete Edwards
20 Posted 12/04/2015 at 10:26:24
Denis, I’m sure the manager knows a bit more than you on the players’ contracts.
Jermaine Jennings
21 Posted 12/04/2015 at 11:05:24
For god's sake, people, he is on loan so has something to prove. If he were to join, he will just go back to being crap Lennon who will have 1 good game in 25, which is why Spurs were so frustrated with him. He's been there for years and had so many chances!!

What makes you think he will be better at Everton than he was at Spurs??

This will be a bad signing and a step back. If he signs him, RM clearly isn't good enough to manage our club.

Bobby Thomas
22 Posted 12/04/2015 at 11:04:53
Denis (#15)

Spot on for sir.

Chris Feeley
23 Posted 12/04/2015 at 12:19:26
My initial instincts regarding Mirallas were to cash in while he still has some value. However, having looked at his stats for this season, I was surprised to see that he is the team's second-top scorer behind Lukaku.

In all competitions, Lukaku has 18 whilst Mirallas has 9, despite Mirallas playing in 12 less games. In the league, Lukaku has 8, Naismith has 6, and Mirallas has 5. However, Mirallas has started 6 less games than Naismith and 12 less than Lukaku.

As much as this raises questions about the overall impotence of the team this season, Naismith is widely thought of as having a decent season yet Mirallas, for all his lethargy, has arguably contributed (where it matters) more regularly when he plays. I'm not a fan of his attitude and his continual attempts to force a move during an international break through the press. What would concern me is how we could replace his goals within a side that has struggled to score for the majority of the season?

Trevor Peers
24 Posted 12/04/2015 at 13:14:27
No player is irreplaceable; his attitude stinks, he wants to leave so Mirallas will get his wish. It's up to Roberto to find goalscorers if he's up to the job.
James Stewart
25 Posted 12/04/2015 at 17:53:17
@12 Mark you keep calling Lennon a headless chicken and he keeps scoring so keep it up!

Personally I would be pleased to see him sign up. He offers something different to our play and it's nice to finally have genuine pace in the side. £6M is good business you won't find proven players with his pace for twice that.

Mirallas should be sold at the earliest opportunity. I lost patience with him long ago. Fair-weather player whose mind is already elsewhere. I would love to see Bolasie replace him. Bolasie on one wing and Lennon on the other would really change how teams set up against us.

Mark Frere
26 Posted 12/04/2015 at 18:35:25
James, if you look at his goal-scoring record at Spurs, it ain't that good! Mark my words, he won't be scoring on a regular basis if we sign him.

You say:

"£6M is good business you won't find proven players with his pace for twice that."

Proven players? By that I assume you mean proven mediocrity? Pace is a nice luxury to have but it doesn't excuse poor passing, poor crossing, and general poor technique. Lennon is 28 now and once he loses his pace he will have very little to contribute. Also there will be no resale value on him in a couple of years time.

We should be scouting abroad for younger players with potential. Do Arteta and Pienaar ring any bells? Both cost £2 million each and are far superior to Lennon. We are running the risk of turning into Stoke (or even worse QPR) by signing players like Lennon. Their squads are full of players which weren't good enough for their previous PL clubs!

Andy Walker
27 Posted 12/04/2015 at 19:59:50
We simple don't find gems anymore which was fundamental to our ability to compete with the best in past years. Look at some of the players either brought in for very little or sold/could be sold, at massive profit:

Howard
Coleman
Baines
Jageilka
Lescott
Stones
Distin
Pienaar
Arteta
Fellaini
Gravesen
Cahill
Mirallas

So far we have Robles, Kone, McCarthy, Barry, Lukaku, McGeady, Alcaraz.

Speaks for itself really.

I'd much prefer the headline 'Kenwright to talk with Martinez'.

Bobby Thomas
28 Posted 12/04/2015 at 20:45:49
Player on loan in working hard shock.

Because, as he's 28, its his last big contract as well. Which, on recent evidence, we will be stupid enough to give.

We need to be taking players in their early 20's.

Don't sign him. As mentioned above, always been hit & miss and is 28 so no sell on. He wont hold his value at all.

And when the clubs whole transfer policy seems based on this, its worth considering.

Plus he cant play both sides effectively, he's strictly a right sided player. We run small squads so flexibility is handy.

Trevor Peers
29 Posted 12/04/2015 at 20:36:15
Mark #26 Your post sounds like a call for Moyes to come back to be our manager, after all he signed all those players you mentioned for next to nothing. That wouldn't be very popular, Roberto is certain to carry on the job of rebuilding.

Lennon at least looks like he has the stomach for a fight. He's got some grit and is much better than McGeady who should be sold, we have had plenty of loan signing who have been gutless mercenaries and been shown the door.

Bill Gall
30 Posted 12/04/2015 at 21:03:59
With all the talk of either keeping Lennon or bringing in Cleverly the thing to me is, have Everton sunk that low that we have to be looking at players that other teams don't want, and are not even good enough to have a starting place in their teams.

We were led to believe that Martinez had contacts all over Europe and during his world cup stint he would be able to check on players playing in their international teams and yet all we got was a player who made his name in 1 game by marking Messi and is still not a starter for Everton.

As Mark # 12 said ," we have the entire globe to scout out and have no need to buy over priced mediocrity like Lennon.

Buying the players mentioned "Lennon and Cleverly" to me is showing a lack of ambition and if this is the level of expectations that Everton are even looking at, means this season will not be a slip up but the norm.

Trevor Peers
31 Posted 12/04/2015 at 21:31:07
Cleverley is useless were all agreed. But unless Roberto is removed were getting him. At least Lennon has scored two vital goals and a with couple of assists has been one of the main reasons we have managed to claw our way to safety.

With Roberto's record in the transfer market I think it would be a case of better the devil you know, than ship in another McGeady or Astu. He does show a lack of ambition in the transfer market but BK seems certain to retain Roberto for the full 5 years he admires him.

Denis Richardson
32 Posted 12/04/2015 at 22:00:59
Pete 20 - multiple news sources, including btw the Spurs official website, list Lennon's contract as expring in 2016.

I'll assume our manager made a mistake with his 'two years' quote.

Denis Richardson
33 Posted 12/04/2015 at 22:12:36
Andy 27, think you're looking back with blue tinted glasses a bit there. Whilst those players have contributed to the club over the years the likes of Baines, Jagielka, Lescott, Howard, Distin etc didn't exactly cost nothing. These 5 alone cost around £25M combined going back as far as 2005......

Admittedly we robbed united and city blind with the Lescott and Fellaini deals.

Sam Hoare
34 Posted 12/04/2015 at 22:48:53
In the last couple of years, we've already had a few of players who have looked excellent on loan only to drop off significantly when bought permanently (I'm looking at you, Gareth and Steven).

Lennon has been good since coming in but Levy is a nightmare to buy from and will probably demand £7M+. I think there could be better and younger found for that though and as pointed out Lennon's pace will only lessen over the next few years...

Trevor Peers
35 Posted 12/04/2015 at 22:54:19
It's going to be a fascinating summer that's for sure with expectations so high it seems. If Lennon isn't to everyone s taste and Cleverley already dispised both are looking nailed on certainties to be added, that only leaves one more singing for Roberto to sort out.
Patrick Murphy
36 Posted 12/04/2015 at 23:22:21
Not including loan players or players bought to the club on nominal or free transfers, this is the list according to TW archives that have arrived at Goodison since January 2010:

Romelu Lukaku;  

Gareth Barry;

Jindrich Stanek;

Aiden McGeady
James McCarthy

Joel Robles;

Arouna Kone;

John Stones
Matthew Kennedy;

Bryan Oviedo;

Kevin Mirallas;

Steven Pienaar;
Nikica Jelavic;

Darron Gibson;

George Green;

Apostolos Vellios
Mageye Gueye;

Joao Silva

The combined fees paid for these players is circa £72M and we have received circa £78M so all this Moyes did this or did that isn't really true for the last few years of his tenure. That's not his fault and it's not really Roberto's fault either but times in the Premier League have changed as has the Board of Directors generosity in relation to actually purchasing players. Lennon coming to Goodison will be tempered by the loss of Mirallas probably to the same club, is this good business, only time will tell.

Colin Glassar
38 Posted 12/04/2015 at 23:37:48
It's looking increasingly likely that Lennon will be swapped for Mirallas. Big Bill is such a dope we will probably have to give spurs some money on top to sweeten the deal.
James Stewart
39 Posted 12/04/2015 at 23:58:20
Proven premier league experience I mean Mark. It's all very well saying we should be looking more globally for players but how many wingers with pace for under 6m that can cut it in the premier league are out there? Lennon also has exceptional work rate defensively. After watching the likes of Mcgeady and Atsu out on the right wing I'm glad Lennon is out there. Drastic improvement on those 2 clowns.

Stoke are a pretty well run club with a solid defence have no fear we won't turn into them under RM.

Michael Polley
40 Posted 13/04/2015 at 22:12:36
Cleverly is a waste of space.
Max Wilson
41 Posted 16/04/2015 at 15:13:55
Summer Talk: Hello! and Goodbye!!! (Tot siens actually.)

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