Garber has stated in the past, and MLS owns all the player contracts, that Donovan is going nowhere. This seems like he's done a 180 and will let Donovan go if he wants to.

I don't see him going to City. It would stun me. Let's hope he's in Blue.

Ian (8):
Surely you can't be serious. Bring in a guy who made a tremendous impact who supposedly loves the Club and his time here, and let go a guy who can't find a pen anywhere to sign a contract?
Besides, Donovan's every bit as good a Pienaar. Not quite as creative, but makes up for it with pace and blistering crosses. We'd be a better team with a one-for-one swap bringing in Donovan and letting Pienaar go IMO.

But if Arteta leaves, we're simply screwed. Just no way around that. It would be a hammer-blow of a loss. One I don't think we could overcome this season and still have a shot at Top 4. He's that important.

I think Moyes was right to fight City tooth & nail a year ago, if only to prove that we are not a soft touch but, at the end of the day, Lescott went regardless.

It's a fine balancing act... if we just accept any offer we just become fodder for the big boys. If we fight our corner then the player concerned only has to throw in a transfer request and we get shat on anyway (a la Lescott).

I don't want reluctant players; if their heart's not in it, fuck them and get rid. If they don't understand what it means to play for Everton, then they don't matter.

1. No-one has made a real move for either player yet. Last summer, Lescott (god knows why) was a key target for City very early on.

2. City were offerring very silly money for Lescott.

3. If I were Pienaar or Arteta, I would look very closely at what happened to Lescott. Missed out on the World Cup and now on the scrap heap. OK, he's a good deal richer, but I doubt he is happier.

Both Pienaar and Arteta had their careers resurrected at Everton after transfers that did not work out for them. They are aware of the risks of a move, especially to a club like City where your replacement is only one transfer window away.

4. Rumours about Arteta come up every summer. The only reason they didn't last summer was because he was injured. I think the chances of us losing him are reducing, not increasing.

It would worry me more if Barcelona grab Fabregas. Then I think Arsenal would go for Arteta ? and frankly that move would make very good sense for the boy. The other thing I worry about is Arteta going back to Spain.

But we have to face the fact that both players are in their late twenties. They only have a few more years of peak football left in them. In 5 years time they will be gone and the club will go on. There is a good argument to sell Pienaar and use the money to find a younger replacement, because ? even if he does extend his contract ? we will not have the money to replace him when he starts to fade as a talent in his 30s.

I'm inclined to agree with Charlie Percival. I believe Bily will prove to be a fine signing particularly when he is given a run in the right position. In my view, that is not wide but behind the lone striker i.e in the Cahill role.

"3) Lescott Is Still Rubbish

You only had to see Sky Sports News' 45 seconds of highlights from Manchester City's latest pre-season clash to know that Lescott is in trouble at City. He was only on the pitch for 45 minutes but he managed to commit a challenge that really should have resulted in a penalty for Club America, as well as getting caught flat-footed for the Mexican side's equaliser.

Lescott has found himself ceding a starting place to young Belgian Dedryk Boyata on this tour and with defensive reinforcements coming in this summer, it's difficult to see the £24m (yes, really) getting a game. Let his likely fate (a January loan to Fulham) be a lesson to James Milner. "