EVERTON are to lodge an official complaint with FIFA over the conduct of an agent who is seemingly intent on luring Andrei Kanchelskis to Italy. Kanchelskis has admitted he had recently been approached by a third party claiming to represent Fiorentina.
The complaint will allege that Vincenzo Morabito made an illegal approach to a player under contract in direct contravention of FIFA's regulations.
"We are to report him for what we construe to be an illegal approach. This will be official contact relating to his recent activities," said the Everton manager Joe Royle.
"We were aware of Fiorentina's interest in our player but it was rebuffed. Andrei has to keep on playing football and leave the other side of things to me," he added.
Kanchelskis, who is preparing for the World Cup qualifying fixture with the Russian squad in Israel, confirmed that Morabito made contact with him last month to inform him of Fiorentina's interest.
"A couple of my Russian team-mates who play their football in Italy rang me to say that reports in the papers over there suggested Fiorentina wanted to buy me. Then, this agent rang me to say the stories were true," he said.
Meanwhile, Paul McGrath is reconciled to parting company with Aston Villa after his bust-up with manager Brian Little. saying: "I don't think things can be patched up."
McGrath, who has handed in a written transfer request, is set for a showdown with Little and club chairman Doug Ellis today after weekend newspaper comments led to him being axed for the 4-3 defeat at Newcastle.
He is determined to seek pastures new after seven years with Villa, although the 36-year-old Republic of Ireland centre-half regrets his departure will be in such controversial circumstances.
"I wanted to leave Villa with my head held high," said McGrath. "But the way things have been going in the last few days that doesn't seem possible now.
"I didn't want things to end this way and it is a shame it has reached this stage. I don't think it is possible to patch things up now.
"I'm at an age where I need first-team football, for the sake of my international career as much as anything else. I'm not getting that at Villa. Nobody can go on forever and I know the older I get the slower I will become in certain areas.
But reports that McGrath was prepared to pay back his £100,000 signing-on fee to help his release from Villa are wide of the mark.
"I was hoping that, if I could get away, the club I joined would pay Villa the signing-on fee," he said. "I would find it hard to find the money myself to give back to them.
Villa chairman Doug Ellis, who has put a £200,000 price-tag on McGrath's services, is still hoping the situation can be resolved. "I am disappointed McGrath decided to go to the media," he said. "I've treated him like a son and we've looked after him very well. We are still hopeful of a satisfactory conclusion.
