Moyes says contract power is held by the club not the players

DAVID MOYES has made it clear that Everton will not be dictated to by players who are out of contract in the coming months.

- By MATT C JONES

The Blues have a whopping 14 squad members either at the end of their deals or the end of their loan agreements this summer.

The topic has been a big talking point since Everton's win at Nottingham Forest last weekend, when Abdoulaye Doucoure made it clear with his goal celebration he was waiting for an offer from the club.

The midfielder gestured signing a deal and a phone call. He then said in his post-match interview that he was hoping to stay with the Blues, although Everton let an option to trigger Doucoure's contract for an extra year on the same terms expire.

Moyes was asked about the contract situation at his press conference yesterday to preview the game against Manchester City and made it clear he believes the power is with the club, not the players.

"I think we've got a few that are coming out of contract," he said. "We're still in a situation where we want to make sure we keep everybody right. We'll not leave it until the last minute.

"We'll certainly do it when we're ready. It won't be dictated by the players, they are under contract at the moment and the club will decide when to make decisions on the players."

The Everton boss was then asked if the players can still impact the decisions over their futures with performances on the pitch.