Toffees boss confused by behaviour of predecessor.
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Everton manager Roberto Martinez has criticised his predecessor David Moyes for his conduct over the pursuit of Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini, the Mirror reports.
Martinez also questioned whether the Old Trafford outfit are serious in their pursuit of the pair after their approach for them was described as “not even a bid”.
However, he saved the real vitriol for manager David Moyes, by insisting that his behaviour is a noticeable departure from how the side used to conduct business under Sir Alex Ferguson, and claiming that his actions have been ‘very un-Manchester United like’.
The £28 million bid submitted by the champions values England left back Bains at just £12 million, whilst Fellaini at just £1m more than the sum Moyes himself paid for the midfielder five years ago when he was an unknown (£15m).
“I don’t know if this is a new way of working. I have never seen Manchester United working in this manner before,” the former Wigan boss said.
“When you want a player you just do the business quietly, you get it done and that’s it.
“I don’t expect a new bid – in fact, it wasn’t even a bid, because it never reached any sort of valuation.
“Do we have a valuation? We are not talking about trying to feed a price for a player – I don’t want to sell. That would be wrong.
“But what is clear is the market brings the valuation.
“And clearly, if you invest a certain amount in a player and that player is one of the outstanding performers in the league, then I’m sure that price has gone up. It is common sense, isn’t it?”
Martinez insisted that the duo are not available at any price, but did point out that Fellaini would be worth considerably more than the £23.5 million that the buy out clause in his contract would suggest. However, when asked if there was a possibility that his player would want to leave he said; “We’re not in that position. There isn’t an offer on the table where anyone would consider anything.
“The players know that. If they’d matched a valuation maybe then you would listen to one of the players or have to open up, but that hasn’t been the situation.
“There’s been a lot of talk, but all we’ve had is a bid that doesn’t go anywhere near the reality – so it doesn’t go any further, really.”