Everton angered by Manchester United’s joint £28m player bid

Everton FC have been left  outraged after Manchester United made a farcical £16m bid  for Marouane Fellaini – a  fortnight after his £23.5m buy-out clause expired reports Gregg O’Keefe Liverpool Echo

Goodison chiefs were rocked by the derisory offer for their  Belgium international  midfielder, and further  incensed when Old Trafford  officials also tried to include Leighton Baines in the package for a further £12m.

The shocking £28m approach  by former boss David Moyes ’  new club, believed to have been  designed to unsettle Everton’s  prized duo, was swiftly and  angrily rejected.

But United’s offer, which was  made by chief executive Ed  Woodward only 48 hours before  the start of the new Premier  League season, is understood to  have left considerable bad  feeling on Merseyside –  especially given that Fellaini’s true market value is widely  considered to be in excess of the  £23.5m clause in his contract  which expired on July 31.

Last week Everton boss Roberto Martinez told the ECHO that United’s first bid for Baines  in June, also for £12m, was  described as a final offer by the  Red Devils, and this latest  attempt to land the England  international on the cheap  would appear to contradict

The Toffees are determined  to keep hold of Baines, who they  have repeatedly insisted is not for sale, and  will be not pressured into  listening to grossly under-value  bids for 25-year-old Fellaini –  who they would also like to  remain at Goodison.

As Everton manager in 2008, Moyes paid Standard Liege an  initial £15m for Fellaini – a sum  which eventually rose to around  £17.5m in additional payments.

Staggeringly, United’s approach last week  would suggest they believe  Fellaini’s value has decreased  since then; despite the midfielder making 174 appearances over his five seasons at Everton so far, scoring 32 goals, and becoming an established part of the renowned Belgian national side.

Moyes has turned his interests to Fellaini after repeatedly failing in his  protracted efforts to prize Cesc Fabreags  from Barcelona.

So far he has only added  young Uruguayan  full-back Guillermo  Varela to his squad,  and is under pressure  to show his mettle in  the transfer market  before the  September 2  deadline.

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