Everton target refuses to travel with club
Everton target Manuel Fernandes has refused to play for his club side SL Benfica to their home Champions League draw against Danish side FC Copenhagen. Everton have made a formal offer for the player and he looks set to force his departure from the Lisbon giants.The 21-year-old midfielder’s rights are 50% owned Benfica. Everton would want to buy the player outright to avoid third-party ownership complications which hounded Carlos Tevez.
Everton are still well short of the 12m valuation set by Benfica. As the player is unceremoniously attempting to force a sale, this fee might be set to drop. Fernandes has really angered the local fans, though. Just days ago he announced his happiness at the club and willingness to lead the midfield, a bit unfair to the club to turn around and refuse to play. Well, more than a bit. There are better ways to handle this, refusing to travel, especially as his transfer would make him cup tied. I’ve been extremely high on Fernandes, but this move makes me wonder. Don’t be surprised if an agent is behind it.
Fernandes spent the last half of last season on loan at Goodison Park and was very impressive, scoring one of the goals of the season against Manchester United.
If he does play tomorrow, Fernandes would not be able to play for Everton in the UEFA Cup. Note to Fernandes: push for your transfer earlier stop pissing off the fans.
Labels: Everton, SL Benfica
by Football Commentator at 8/13/2007 10:17:00 PM
15 Comments:
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Great article! Hope he reads this, but I doubt he would mind much.
Quality player, but swapping champion´s league action AND a title contender club, for a mid table team (with all due respect to Everton) for a few extra euros on the paycheck? Good legs, bad brain.
Manuel F. see you in Leixões in 2 years....
I find it hilarious that a massive club like Benfica employs tactics like this: "the player has refused to play for us anymore" etc. etc.
When in reality, through reading around the Portuguese forums and internet sites, the club have accepted the offer because they have to under the constraints of Fernandes' contract and also because of the financial situation at the club.
Maybe he gets what he deserves, like one of the anonymous said - if he ends in a second division team... Benfica could counter the offer by doubling his paycheck; but they rightly did not do so, as he disrespected the club and the supporters in a number of occasions.
Manel cabrão
manuel fernandes is THE biggest sellout benfica has known, after what he did last year, benfica forgave him, took him back, only for him to screw up all over again... what´s funny is that MF isn´t going to win squat in everton...money speaks louder... i hope he choks on it......
Anonymous, Everton is an enormous football club with a very low profile. Players dont realise how big they are until they're there, then they dont want to leave. The England legend Alan Ball said, "Once you've been touched by Everton nothing will ever be the same". Fernandes has been touched. Benfica are nothing.
Manuel Fernandes will be earning £13,500 p/w at Everton...
It's hardly John Terry level payment is it?!
At the end of the day, Benfica may be a bigger club than Everton, but the league in which they play is poor. At Everton, Fernandes will play in a quality match every week - sometimes twice a week with the UEFA Cup on the horizon, will be adored by the crowd which he won over with his first step-over, and he can raise a club from being a challenger for the European spots to a club who is a challenger for the Champions League spots.
Everton is the 4th biggest club in England and is on the road to getting back where it belongs after 20 years of mismanagement behind the scenes. If they can wrap up the signing of Fernandes - one of the best young players in the world - it shows their intent to get back where they belong.
He may end up leaving after 2 years to go and play for Arsenal, or United, or whoever... but they will make a huge profit if that is the case.
The bottom line is that Portugal is not a big enough league to make a name for yourself. At Everton, he has the world stage to show that he is one of the best U21 players in the world. No way is he a mercenary...
Re: Anonymous at 8:57 AM
"The bottom line is that Portugal is not a big enough league to make a name for yourself"
I understand what you're getting at in relation to Manuel Fernandes career but this is really a laughable remark to make.
Ze Mourinho didn't make a name for himself in Portugal? Did he not win the UEFA Cup and Champions League with a Portuguese league side?
Clearly Ronaldo, Nani and Anderson made enough of a name in this same league for Man Utd to spend almost £50 million combined on them.
Oh, this was also the league where Figo and Rui Costa and Hasselbaink and Eriksson made their name, who excelled in so many other leagues.
The top clubs in England, Spain, Germany and Italy have players who made their name in the Portuguese League. So your remark is stupid.
We know that financially English football is much stronger but being paid more and being known more are two different things entirely.
Manuel Fernandes went with Benfica to the CL QF's v eventual winners Barcelona, beating Man Utd x 1, Liverpool x 2 along the way.
So don't tell us that he needs to go to England to make her name for himself. He did that already. He is going to England to make money.
And before you think this is some hyper-sensitive Portuguese defence, I am a season-ticket holder at a club in England. I know what's up.
Face facts, yes managers have early success in Portugal but they very quickly move away to the big leagues such as the premiership. How many managers/players go there in their prime....... none if the bigger leagues are interested.
Figo, Rui Costa, Hasselbaink... how long did they stay in Portugal when the big leagues were interested?
Why have the two young lads left portugal so early and gone to Man Utd?
How many of yourbig names that play for the national squad still play in your league? Figo couldnt wait to get out and he wont even go back now hes at the end of his career.
Get a grip and face the facts your a small league and your clubs are feeder clubs for the big leagues.
Your just a bigger version of the scottish league. Get over it.
Sadly only 3 football clubs have won more English, top-flight League titles than Everton Football Club.
Plus, they get bigger crowds than us and they play in the most strongest league in the world.
We have to face facts, guys.
An upset Porto fan.
I feel bad for Portugal. They have one of the biggest talent pool in the world yet their best players end up playing all over Europe. They'd have one of the finest leagues in the world if their native players stayed. I don't blame the Benfica fans for calling him a mercenary, because us Everton fans have the same reaction to leaving talent (Rooney). Although it's strange how Manny wants to leave for a smaller club, it's evidently based on personal reasons, some bust-up with the staff. Best of luck to Benfica in the CL. Actually Benfica have one of the best young strikers in their reserves, that Yu Dabao guy.
Everton are basically a club that rave about History while their are now shit, haven't won anything in over a decade, always talking about the history while they'll probably never win another major trophy again. It's so funny to listen to them, they think that because they finally reached the UEFA cup it means they have a chance of winning it, HAHAHAHAH they'll get owned like last time, Dinamo Bucharest 5-1 PMSL... Everton bigger crowds? Hahaha in that shit stadium that only holds 40k? Benfica's is 65k... and regularly maxed out.... rofl. Everton fans always give you a laugh.
Everton FC are a club going back into the big time in the Premier League, at the moment they are top of the league and are going to sign one of the most talented youngsters in the World.
Everon FC - Going back to where we belong, the big time.
How appropriate. All those cocky remarks from second-rate European nobodies like Everton and before you knew what had happened, Manele sticks two fingers up and joined a proper European outfit in Valencia, you know, a team that has won a domestic title in the past decade and plays Champions League football. Just like Benfica.
"He's [sic] chose us over you" Oh no he hasn't. It hurts doesn't it! Thankyou for all the remarks about Benfica and the Portuguese league, unfortunately on both counts we produce winners, what have Everton won this century? Unless signing Phil Neville was your attempt to win a prize for signing the most limited international footballer in Europe and worst English player for a generation. You stick to what you know, middling English players and no European stature. Never been and never will be as famous as Benfica.
"Everon FC - Going back to where we belong, the big time." Hahaha, nope and you can't even spell your own team name. When Manele is lining up in a Champions League quarter final for Valencia at the Mestalla and you're losing FA Cup games to Shrewsbury we'll all know what Big Time means. Big Time nobodies. We beat Liverpool last year, we beat Man Utd the year before and we'd kick your irrelevant asses all over the place if we ever got the chance.
Stick to has-been Portuguese players like Nuno Valente and we'll keep on exporting our best talent to the proper big clubs in Europe.
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