EVERTON are ready to fight to keep hold of their England defender Joleon Lescott.

With speculation increasing that Manchester City are poised to make a £15million bid for the centre-back, Everton have let it be known they would throw out the offer.

It is an open secret in Manchester that Lescott is one of five players that Mark Hughes wants to sign this summer – the others being Carlos Tevez, Gareth Barry, Roque Santa Cruz and Samuel Eto’o.

With the signatures of Barry and Santa Cruz already secured and Tevez poised to follow shortly, City are now ready to up their efforts to land Lescott.

Everton, however, will resist all attempts to land a player they took a chance on when signing from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2006.

Manager David Moyes has repeatedly stressed that he does not need to sell any of his stars.

Also, given that neighbours Liverpool have agreed to pay £17million for another England international defender Glen Johnson, Everton consider a £15m fee as in no way representing Lescott’s true market value given that the player still has three years left on his current contract.

Lescott has figured in all bar two of the 144 competitive matches Everton have played since August 2006, regularly chips in with goals, is just as effective at left-back as he is a central defender and won the club’s Player of the Year award in 2008.

Everton, meanwhile, have added two pre-season dates to their schedule.

They will go to Blackpool on Tuesday, August 4 (kick-off 7.30pm) and make a first ever visit to Coventry City’s Ricoh Arena 48 hours earlier for a 12.30pm kick-off on Sunday, August 2.