Gravesen will leave Everton, warns agent

Everton have been warned they are almost certainly going to lose inspirational Danish midfielder Thomas Gravesen.

On the day the Goodison club distanced themselves from claims they are in discussions with Thaksin Shinawatra over selling a stake in the club to the Thai PM, they were confronted with damning comments from Gravesen’s agent about the player’s future.

Gravesen, currently on Euro 2004 duty with Denmark and banned from their opening game with Italy next Monday, is considering walking away from the club on a free transfer next summer or opting for a move now.

Everton plan to have new contract discussions with Gravesen when he returns from the Portugal finals, but the player’s agent John Sivebaek has hit them with worrying claims.

Former Manchester United defender Sivebaek had earlier said Gravesen would leave Everton if they failed to improve the squad during the summer.

But now it seems that the Dane is going anyway, either with a cut-price transfer fee now or on a free transfer when his contract expires next summer.

Sivebaek explained: “Thomas has no problem staying another year in Everton, but quite frankly I find it hard to think he is staying.

“It would be wise to sell him now and make some money. That is up to Everton, but we are also speculating in letting the deal expire next summer.”

Sivebaek clearly has no problem upsetting Everton chief David Moyes with his claims.

He continued: “There’s nothing wrong in saying you want to try something else.

“Maybe Everton won’t get the improvements Thomas is looking for, because it is apparently not easy to get the huge stars to Everton.

“Hopefully something will happen around Thomas during the Euro 2004 finals.

“Everything will be open if he plays well, but on the other hand everything can also go wrong.

“Thomas is gambling under pressure, but he can handle that, and the finals in Portugal could be perfect for him.

“It could be an economic good solution to let the deal expire, but that is not our strategy.

“It could end like that, but we are not double-crossing Everton, because Thomas likes the club, and we want to be straight in our way to do business.

“I think the club understand that Thomas would like to try something else.”

Everton, who installed owner Bill Kenwright as chairman last week as well as a new chief executive in Trevor Birch, desperately need cash to meet Moyes’ plans.

That means bringing in players to impress the likes of Gravesen and persuade the midfielder to extend his contract.

But that cash, claim the club, is not coming from Shinawatra, who is still involved in discussions with Liverpool over a cash injection.

Everton’s director Paul Gregg is currently in Thailand discussing a shirt sponsorship deal with brewers Chang Beer, but a club spokesman insisted “he has not been talking to the Thai government”.

And claims that Shinawatra could become involved in both clubs have also been dismissed by Everton, with the source saying: “Nobody under league rules can hold shares in two Premiership clubs.”