Martinez: We were never selling Mirallas
Everton manager Roberto Martinez has dismissed speculation that Kevin Mirallas would be sold despite lots of newspaper stories linking him with a move away.
Martinez went on to say that the only thing they were interested in was signing Aaron Lennon and he is delighted to have signed the Spurs winger on loan.
“No, that was never even a consideration,” he said. “We worked really hard to try and get Aaron Lennon to Everton and that was the only deal we were focused on.
“I feel he is the type of player that can really fit into the way we want to play. We now have really good competition and when Christian Atsu comes back from the Africa Cup of Nations I do feel we will be strong in wide areas.”
“The wide player is someone who needs to be a specific one.
“When you talk about wide players from abroad you have a real concern because by the time they get used to the pace, it can be difficult for them.
“I felt it had to be a very specific winger to fit into the club. If you are going to bring a foreign player then it is easier to do it in a central area.
“As a wide player you need the physicality and know-how of the Premier League. At that time, Aaron became available quite late.
“As you know, the deadline day brings opportunities. Aaron Lennon is a player I have always admired from a distance and clearly this was a unique opportunity for us.
“Those things, you can’t really control how they develop. We are just pleased to get Aaron into the club.”
“As a player you always focus on controlling the small fixture, getting in the team and enjoying your football and then everything triggers from that.
“He has got the talent to play for England and he has the talent to finish his career strong. He is only 27. He made his debut at 16 and the way he has been learning season-by-season is a real strength of his.
“He is still in the prime time of his career. He is a perfect fit for our squad. We want him to enjoy his football and make sure we give him the platform to do that.
“Even though Aaron cannot play in the Europa League I felt he gives us a chance to share the work in that area.
“It is a position where you always want to be fresh and playing Thursday-Sunday could be a bit of a worry for us. Aaron will help.”
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