Manchester United Transfer News: Red Devils Should Cease Marouane Fellaini Chase

Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini is one of the most recognizable players in soccer, so it should come as no surprise that Manchester United has been exploring the possibility of acquiring him. Ultimately, the Red Devils would be better served exploring other options, though.

According to Matt Law of the Mirror, the Belgian star's £23.5 million buyout clause expires on Aug. 14. Once that clause is no longer a factor, Everton is expected to ask for more than £30 million in exchange for the eccentric midfielder.

Although Fellaini obviously has his strengths as a player, the asking price figures to become far too high. Even if the Red Devils strike before Aug. 14, £23.5 million is a bit steep. Fellaini scored a career-high 12 goals for the Toffees this past season, but he has never reached double-digit goals in any other season. Goalscoring isn't everything, but Fellaini hasn't proven to be a productive player over a long period of time.

Fellaini's main selling point is his versatility in the midfield. He is capable of pressing forward as an attacker, but he is probably even more comfortable as a defensive midfielder who helps out the back line. That would be of great value to a team like Manchester United, which already has several interchangeable parts, but the price has to be right.

It's true that rivals like Chelsea and Arsenal seem to be improving, but the Red Devils were so far ahead of the field in the EPL last season that they shouldn't feel the need to add just for the sake of doing it. In a lot of ways, signing Fellaini feels as though it would be little more than appeasement for the fans who are calling for a move to be made.

It appears as though Manchester United is coming to that same realization as things have been fairly quiet on the Fellaini front as of late. According to Goal UK, Everton manager Roberto Martinez claims that there have been no new bids for Fellaini.

While Manchester United may simply be lying in wait before striking on Fellaini, the Red Devils have also been exploring other options. According to David McDonnell of the Mirror, United has been in pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas, but it has been turned away to this point.

Barca manager Gerardo Martino does not intend to sell Fabregas and believes that he will remain at Camp Nou, according to ESPN FC.

That doesn't necessarily mean the Red Devils are done going after Fabregas, but it does seem as though they're going to have a very difficult time landing him. According to Adam Bate of Sky Sports, kicking the tires of Fabregas may have been United manager David Moyes' way of making fans believe he was going for the gusto.

If Moyes cannot land Fabregas but secures Fellaini instead, it would likely be viewed as a solid consolation prize. Fellaini wouldn't necessarily be a bad fit at Old Trafford, as his defensive acumen could play off the offensive excellence of Robin van Persie and Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez among others, but Everton is vastly overvaluing him at this point.

Perhaps Everton will realize that if his buyout clause expires, but the Toffees seem insistent upon getting a king's ransom in exchange for Fellaini. Maybe some team will ultimately be willing to pay that price, but Manchester United shouldn't be the club to do it.

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