Queens Park Rangers will hold talks over a deal for Nikica Jelavic with Everton today as Harry Redknapp looks to beat his former club West Ham United to the signing of the Croatia international.
QPR are one of several clubs to have inquired about the 28-year-old, whom Everton are prepared to release on a permanent transfer providing the manager, Roberto Martinez, lands a replacement.
Everton have received only proposed loans so far but QPR and West Ham are willing to pay an initial £3.5 million and, with the Championship club at Goodison Park in the FA Cup third round, QPR officials will pursue their interest in the striker.
“They have asked but there is nothing concrete,” Martinez said. “We have had a few clubs ask about Nikica and Johnny Heitinga because I made it public. Teams have been really interested in two players of their experience and want to find out about the situation. I think when people realise Niki is not going to be available on loan that changes things.”
Martinez says Jelavic will be available for selection against his prospective employers despite being aware of interest from Redknapp, who tried to sign the striker before he joined Everton for £5 million from Rangers in January 2012.
Martinez said: “I’m sure he knows because these days the players are the first to find out. It won’t change his motivation if he plays.
It would be very cynical to think that he would not want to knock the team out of the cup. It's different when there is a firm bid on the table but we're not in that situation."
Favour summer move
Hamburg have also inquired about Jelavic but are understood to favour a move in the summer, whereas the striker needs regular football to secure a place in Croatia's World Cup squad. The forward has struggled to recreate his impressive impact at Everton when he scored 11 goals in 14 games. He lost his place this season to the on-loan Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku but with Arouna Kone expected to miss the remainder of the campaign with a knee injury, Martinez is adamant Jelavic will not be sold without a replacement on board.
“That would be the case with Arouna injured,” he said. “Niki will never go out on loan because it would leave us totally open and we cannot replace him in that respect.
He’s a big asset and, if we are allowing him to move, it’s out of respect to his career and what he has done for us. He needs to play to go to the World Cup and I accept that but it has to be the right terms for the club. I wouldn’t let the squad be weakened just to satisfy an individual.”
Meanwhile, Southampton do not want Mark Clattenburg to officiate any of their games until the latest controversy surrounding the referee has been resolved. Although Clattenburg has been cleared by the referees' official body of acting inappropriately towards Southampton's captain, Adam Lallana, in the 2-1 defeat at Everton last Sunday, the club reacted angrily to that decision and have vowed to pursue the matter.
Letter of complaint
There is a feeling from within the club that decisions have gone against them when they have been refereed by Clattenburg in the past. A letter of complaint was sent by Southampton to the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) on New Year's Eve, claiming that Clattenburg allegedly told Lallana: "You are very different now, since you've played for England – you never used to be like this." An investigation was launched into the incident but the PGMOL has ruled there is no case to answer. The PGMOL falls under the Premier League's umbrella. Southampton could take their case to the Football Association but are not expecting a different outcome. The game's governing body has not received a complaint yet.
Southampton have requested, though, that for now Clattenburg is not handed any of their matches. The game at Everton was Clattenburg’s first at Goodison in seven years following a controversial Merseyside derby.
Clattenburg is now free to take charge of this evening's FA Cup third round tie between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
Guardian Service
