Nuno Valente set to sign new Everton contract

May 6 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

Nuno Valente (158)

NUNO VALENTE is poised to sign a new contract at Goodison – as David Moyes continues his summer rebuilding by releasing a quartet of players.

Valente will commit himself to Everton for another year after both the club and the player agreed to take up the option of a 12-month contract extension.

The Portugal international, whose current deal is due to expire at the end of the season, is expected to put pen to paper this week.

Valente has been hampered by injury since arriving at Everton from Porto for £1.5million in the summer of 2005, fitness problems restricting the left-back to 58 appearances in three seasons.

The 33-year-old has played just one minute in the last 10 weeks, but David Moyes acknowledges the importance of an experienced campaigner who has won the UEFA Cup and Champions League.

Moyes is expecting to work under tight financial restraints once again during the transfer window, with reinforcements necessary as the manager starts his squad restructuring in earnest.

Moyes is prepared to send Manuel Fernandes back to managerless Valencia despite the 22-year-old expressing a desire to remain at the club.

Everton will not pursue a permanent deal for the midfielder – particularly given the exorbitant £12million asking price – and the only way Fernandes will be at Goodison next season is if the clubs can thrash out another temporary switch.

Anthony Gardner will return to Tottenham Hotspur after his six-month loan deal expires having failed to make a single appearance since arriving in January.

Thomas Gravesen, who began a second spell at Everton by signing on a season-long loan from Celtic on transfer deadline day last August, will also depart having subsequently made just three starts.

And reserve goalkeeper Stefan Wessels, signed on a one-year deal from Cologne in August, will not be offered a new contract.

Moyes is expected to further assess the

goalkeeping situation, with the futures of youngsters John Ruddy, who is on loan at promotion-chasing Coca-Cola League Two side Stockport County, and the injury-dogged Iain Turner under question.

Everton will also attempt to offload Andy van der Meyde, who still has a year left to run on his contract but hasn’t started a game since February 2007 and not appeared for the first team at all this season.

Moyes has already signed Steven Pienaar on a permanent transfer from Borussia Dortmund and remains hopeful of persuading Lee Carsley to sign another 12-month contract extension, despite interest from relegated Derby County.