Everton to lose £8m star player and get a mouthy £15m Arsenal reject instead?

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Squeeze past the Daily Mail’s usual stories – that the UK is about to flood/sink under the weight of immigrants / kill itself in an orgy of knife attacks – jog past the celeb banter and the usual guff about crop circles and Lord Lucan – and you will find a classically formed Daily Mail sports article, one without any foundation in reality.

Everybody’s favourite newspaper reckons that Mikel Arteta’s “representatives” are busy “engineering” a move to Atletico Madrid for their young charge, who must be a tad miffed that he doesn’t even get a passing glance from Luis Aragonés. Everton – according to the Daily Mail – will stoically take the loss of their shining star on the chin, and chase Mr “All Mouth And No Trousers” himself David Bentley.

Goodison bosses believe they may have to sell Arteta to Atletico Madrid for around £8m following claims his advisers have been trying to engineer a move back to Spain.

If the deal goes through, Everton would step up their pursuit of Bentley after identifying him as the ideal replacement on the right flank.

Manchester City are prepared to bid £15m for Blackburn’s unsettled midfielder, but Everton believe he would favour joining them. (Daily Mail)

So would Bentley be the right person for Everton to blow a large chunk of their transfer kitty on? And would Arteta be such a huge miss? Great player though he is, Arteta was blighted by a groin injury for a large part of the season and Everton are at a stage where no one player’s departure would ruin them.

More Stories Atletico Madrid CF blackburn rovers david bentley David Moyes English Premier League everton fc goodison park Manchester City FC Mikel Arteta Olympique Marseille Transfer Rumours