Sharethematch.com ambassador Andy Gray was talking exclusively to tribalfootball.com…

DAVID Moyes will move heaven and earth to keep Marouane Fellaini at Goodison Park, but the simple fact is his hands are tied by Everton's financial situation at the moment.

There was talk about Marouane going last January, there was talk of him going this summer, but he's still there now for the time being and only time will tell how much longer that will be the case.

It is always going to be difficult at the moment because of Everton's finances for them to have any say in whether or not they keep him in the long run, but for the time being he's been loyal and they've had no real big offers for him which forced their hand.

If Everton had the power to hold on to all their players I think they would be challenging the top four with more regularity, but it's very difficult for him to keep a player around when you can't afford top dollar and other clubs can without a second thought.

I hope that at the end of January Moyes has not lost any of those players because they've had such a lovely start to the season and it would be a shame to see it derailed because they can't keep their squad together.

But Moyes knows that if a club like Arsenal come in with a bid like they did for Mikel Arteta on the final day of last summer's transfer window they can't turn it down, and it was the same this time around with Manchester City for Jack Rodwell.

If someone says £20 million or £30 million for Fellaini, are they realistically in a position where they can they turn that down?

I think another problem for Everton is that Fellaini could play in any side in the Premier League without too much problem, so he's effectively a potential January target for a whole host of clubs.

He can play in a catalogue of positions; he can play in midfield, he can play as a front man, or off the front, he can even sometimes drop a little deeper and play there if required, so if nothing else he's versatile.

On top of that he's an incredibly gifted and talented footballer, another example of what an amazing revolution they are going through in Belgium currently.

Without him I don't think they would have started the season in the way they did. He's that little spark in the midfield you need to get an attacking move going and they would be at a loss to replace him.

He suits the way Moyes gets his players functioning, in every Everton game you see everything going forward hinges on Fellaini working off Leon Osman.

It speaks volumes about him as a player that, despite all this hype and praise he's been receiving, he's not been making noises about leaving for a bigger club or a club with more chance of silverware. He's got down to his business and he seems committed to bringing success to Goodison and I hope that will continue for at least a season.

In an ideal world Everton would get at least a top six finish, convince him to stay, and be able to build a team full of quality players.

 
Andy Gray is an official ambassador for Sharethematch.com - Football's Social Network. Available now for FREE online or at the App Store; http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/share-the-match/id450784289?mt=8