Why Everton star Phil Jagielka hates the transfer window

PHIL JAGIELKA can’t wait for the transfer window to close in nine days’ time.

The Everton skipper knows that as long as it remains open, there’s the possibility that his centre-back partner John Stones might be prised away by Chelsea.

So far the Goodison Board have stood firm. Manager Roberto Martinez has been unequivocal. The 21-year-old England

youngster is going nowhere.

But the experienced Jagielka has been around long enough to know that sometimes there’s a tipping point and a club just can’t keep saying no.

Back in 2009, he lost another partner, Joleon Lescott, to Manchester City after a long saga of offer and rebuff ended with Everton reluctantly taking the cash.

Jagielka hates the window. He doesn’t believe it’s fair on players. And he’s full of admiration for the way Stones has kept his focus.

“I can’t get my head around why it works like it does,” he says.

“For me, the window should shut in the first week of August. Everyone has their squad and if there are any problems then you have to deal with them after Christmas.

“It isn’t good to have transfer sagas going on when lads are playing games.

“It leads to uncertainty and that isn’t fair on players. It unsettles people. We’ve got a saga now and it’s difficult.

“We should get rid of the circus and make sure that all the

entertainment comes from the football.

“I’m not sure many people will listen to me, though!

“It was slightly different when Joleon left. I’d snapped my knee at the end of the previous season, so we didn’t have many defenders.

“He was going to a club that had spent a lot of money and would be challenging for the title. He got trophies because he went to City.

“I don’t know anyone who has wanted to leave Everton, but the reality is that there are clubs who can offer better opportunities to win things.

“Whether it’s more beneficial for John to stay here, and play 38 games and prove how good he is, is an argument for other people.

“The club have been firm in terms of John’s position and fortunately he’s the kind of character who’ll just get on with it.

“He has close friends in the squad, so he’s got guys he can speak to. We are a tight unit.

“But it’s not ideal. For me young lads like him shouldn’t have to go through this kind of saga. It’s not fair.

“It’s a test of his character and if he plays well in the next few games it can only put him in a better light.

“He’s showing his maturity. If he were to be a bit temperamental, spit the dummy and refuse to play, that puts question marks up against your character.

“I can tell you now his character is fantastic, and he’s doing the right things to become the great centre-half we all know he can be.

“Potentially he’s as good as I’ve seen. His temperament’s right, his ability is right, he can defend, he’s got great physical attributes. He can go all the way.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he became England’s centre-half for the next ten or 12 years.

“He’s still got a lot to learn but he knows it, and that’s a good thing.

“We have a close friendship. When I was playing for Sheffield United I lived about two miles from where he was brought up, so we have people and places in common.

“He does get a telling off from me from time to time but he handles that in the right way.

“He can give me a rollicking too. I’d be disappointed if he didn’t. There’s a lot of trust on both sides.

“I’m not quite ready to hand over my England shirt to him yet mind you, I’m not playing much these days!

“But that time will come and he’ll play a lot more games for England than I have.”

The other side of the transfer window coin is that while Everton are getting praise for their stance over Stones and other players such as Ross Barkley, Romelu Lukaku and Seamus Coleman, they have spent only £4m this summer the lowest amount of any Premier League club.

It led to protests last Saturday when disgruntled fans hired a plane to trail a banner criticising Chairman Bill Kenwright and his Board.

Says Jagielka: “It’s definitely just as important for us to keep players like that as it is to sign new ones.

“There’s no point in a club making loads of money every summer and then struggling to find people to spend it on.

“There’s not a tremendous amount of talent around unless you’re talking ridiculous money to get them in.

“We understand the fans want the excitement of seeing new players and are frustrated because we’ve not spent a lot while there’s more TV money coming in.

“It’s easy to point the finger at the person at the top, chairman Bill Kenwright.

“But would they be happy with him selling all the young lads and turning us into a club that has ten ins and outs every year, with no continuity or familiness and no soul?

“The reason Bill has been here for so long and Roberto Martinez has had long spells at clubs is that they don’t let outside influences affect their judgement.

“The last thing you need is someone in power listening to every single opinion and giving a knee-jerk reaction.

“Before you know it the club’s lost £100 million in five years.”