EVERTON have approached Arsenal with an audacious bid to re-sign Francis Jeffers, their former forward, on a season-long loan. The England international left Goodison Park under a cloud when he joined Arsenal in the summer of 2001 after a contract dispute, but David Moyes, the Everton manager, is keen to explore the possibility of signing him on loan, a move that would be permitted under the Premier League’s new transfer regulations.
However, Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, is not keen and named Jeffers in his squad to play Everton at Highbury this afternoon. “I will not be letting Francis go,” Wenger said yesterday. “It is not the best time to consider it and he is in my squad.”
Everton hope to secure the £5.5 million