Moyes blasts Hughes’ ‘disgusting’ Lescott tactics

DAVID MOYES’ has launched an astonishing outburst at Manchester City boss Mark Hughes over the long-running Joleon Lescott saga.

The Scot has condemned City’s transfer tactics over the defender as “disgusting”, and would clearly be angered by any attempt to sell the player over his head.

Manager Moyes is furious that Hughes has suggested that City “are talking to the people at Everton that ultimately make the decisions”.

Two bids, £15 million (€17.5m) and £18m (€21m), plus a written transfer demand from Lescott, have not shifted Moyes from his stance despite claims that a further £22m (€25.6m) bid could be on the way.

If Everton do sell Lescott now, Moyes’ position may become untenable and chairman Bill Kenwright surely would not dare to risk such upheaval with a manager revered among the Goodison faithful.

Moyes, preparing his side for today’s season opener at home to Arsenal, launched a bitter attack on Hughes and City. He said: “There is no dialogue between us and Manchester City as far as I know.

“Maybe City are having dialogue with somebody else, but it is not between me and City.

“He (Hughes) said they were talking to people who make the decisions here. Well he knows who makes the decisions at Everton and it is me.

“He has never once picked up the phone and given me a call, so he is not going to get the answer. I am the one who makes the decisions here.”

Moyes added: “Joleon is a massive player for us, we think so much of him and do not want to lose him.

“His head has been twisted and I cannot say the way things have been done is right, it is not how we do things at this club. But maybe their football club is different, I control things here, maybe it is not quite the same there.”

Meanwhile Arsene Wenger insists there is “no chance” of Cesc Fabregas being sold to Barcelona. The Gunners captain has once again been strongly linked with a big-money summer move away from Emirates Stadium — his boyhood club Barcelona the latest side said to be weighing up a formal bid.

But Wenger insists all such speculation is wide of the mark.

“Do you really think we sell now our players one day before the championship starts, players who are basic players of the team? There is no chance,” declared the Gunners boss.

Despite the sale of Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor and defender Kolo Toure to Manchester City, Wenger maintains his squad is stronger than last year.

So far, Belgian centre-half Thomas Vermaelen is the only new face, although the return to full fitness of Eduardo leaves Wenger feeling there is plenty of strength in attack. “We are young and have developed. Why should we not be better in August than we were in March?” said the Arsenal manager, who will be without Theo Walcott but hopes the England forward could be back for the Champions League qualifier against Celtic next week.