EVERTON have rejected a bid from Stoke City to sign James Vaughan – as David Moyes revealed the club had already turned down a substantial offer for Louis Saha.

Ambitious Stoke are aiming to cement their place in the Premier League and had targeted the 21-year-old.

The Potters offered a down payment of £2million with the fee rising to £5m depending on Vaughan’s appearances and progress.

However, the bid was dismissed by Moyes, who maintains that none of his current squad members are for sale.

Vaughan became the youngster goalscorer in Everton and Premier League history when he netted as a substitute on debut against Crystal Palace in April 2005.

But the striker has since suffered a succession of injuries that have limited him to just 10 starts, with Moyes admitting Vaughan remains short of full match fitness despite regular appearances during pre-season.

Vaughan has not been the only Everton striker attracting attention, with Turkish side Besiktas having made a bid of around £8m for Saha.

But Moyes insisted neither the club nor the player himself were interested in the transfer.

“Louis is someone we had a big bid for,” said the Goodison manager. “But he didn’t want to go and we didn’t want to sell. It’s great news Louis wants to stay.”

Everton will be encouraged by the news Manchester City are starting to investigate alternatives to Joleon Lescott in their pursuit of a new centre-back.