Roberto Martinez says key players will be staying at Everton

Roberto Martinez has “guaranteed” that no key players will be leaving Everton this month and that he is close to a pre-contract agreement with the Republic of Ireland international Aiden McGeady.

The 27-year-old is out of contract with Spartak Moscow at the end of the season and though Everton have considered signing the winger in January, they are not prepared to meet the Russian club’s demands for a significant fee.

Spartak paid Celtic £9.5m for McGeady in 2010 and, while Martinez has not entirely discounted a permanent deal this month, he confirmed a free transfer in the summer is more likely.

“We are very close for the summer, that’s true,” the Everton manager said. “You know I like Aiden.”

As for strengthening Everton’s Champions League challenge with a January move for the winger, who was suspended from training by Spartak coach Valery Karpin earlier this season, Martinez added: “As things stand now, no, because there are too many difficulties. Many things can happen in the window but right now it would be difficult.”

Martinez revealed he also intends to reward McGeady’s Republic of Ireland team-mate Seamus Coleman’s outstanding progress with a new contract in the summer.

The defender only signed a new five-and-a-half-year deal at Everton in December 2012 but, with six goals this season from right-back, he is in line for an improved contract.

'More important'
"I'm sure at the end of the season we will look at his contract," the Everton manager said. "His role in the team is growing, he is getting more important so we will always look at that.

“He is happy at Everton and has a long-term contract but I always said that players who do well and perform, it is my intention to sit down in the summer and reassess. He deserves a reward. He has been terrific.”

Martinez has also confirmed his admiration for the former Liverpool winger Tom Ince, who has attracted interest from several Premier League clubs, but an Everton approach for the Blackpool player is not believed to be imminent.

He said: "I like Tom. As a young, English talent he's a phenomenal footballer but it would be unfair of me to talk about him because he's got a very important second half of the season with Blackpool."

Before sanctioning sale
Martinez wants to sign a striker before sanctioning the permanent sale of Nikica Jelavic, who has offers from Queens Park Rangers and West Ham United among others, but has reiterated his message that Leighton Baines and Ross Barkley will not be sold this month.

The Everton manager said: “You can imagine that the fans would be a little bit worried that we don’t lose any of our top performers and I can guarantee that this won’t be happening; we won’t be losing any of them.

"I'm quite confident that we'll bring maybe one or two in but it's one of those windows where we could have a lot to lose because bringing the wrong person in would affect the dynamics that we have in the dressing room. We're not going to bring anyone in for the sake of it."
Guardian Service