Toffees reject City’s £15m bid for Lescott

THE battle for England defender Joleon Lescott went public yesterday when Everton formally rejected a £15 million (€17.3m) bid from Manchester City.

The Merseyside club’s defiance will only be fuelled by City executive chairman Garry Cook talking publicly about manager Mark Hughes’ admiration for the 26-year-old.

Everton are desperate to hang on to their top players, having reached the FA Cup final last season and managed a second-successive fifth-placed Premier League finish.