MARK LAWRENSON: Everton braced for improved bid by Manchester City for Joleon Lescott

Jul 28 2009 by James Connor, Liverpool Daily Post

I COULD almost hear the collective groan from the blue half of Merseyside when John Terry committed his future to Chelsea.

It will only strengthen Manchester City’s determination to get Joleon Lescott and Goodison officials should be braced for the improved bid whirring through the fax machine any day now.

Okay so City are after Matthew Upson as well to try and compensate for missing out on Terry.

But they won’t stop there – they’ll want Upson AND Lescott to be in the centre of that defence.

The question is, can Everton or Lescott afford to turn down the inevitable big bucks?

In terms of the player, I don’t know many footballers who get the chance to treble their wages and say, ‘no, I’m okay where I am thanks’.

And after the effort David Moyes invested in making him one of the best defenders in the country, he won’t want to lose him to a rival for European qualification next year.