Moyes right to sell Pienaar

South African midfielder Steven Pienaar has completed his £3million move from Everton to Tottenham.

Everton will miss the dynamic midfielder but Everton boss David Moyes knows it isn’t the end of the world.

Contract

Pienaar’s contract with Everton would have run out this summer and the Blues wouldn’t have received any money if he would have moved on in July.

Moyes got a good deal by recouping £3million for the 28 year-old.

Money

Moyes didn’t want to lose Pienaar but knew that the club were in desperate need of the money. The financial purse strings at Everton are extremely tight. Everton couldn’t even afford to sign a player on loan without allowing Nigerian striker Yakubu to leave on-loan to Championship side Leicester City.

Tottenham

I don’t think Pienaar’s move is completely motivated by money (although he will allegedly be earning £75,000 a week at Spurs). I know that Steven is ambitious and he wants to play Champions League football again. He was desperate for that to be with Everton but it wasn’t to be.

He will now get the chance to play Champions League football with Tottenham. He will be a good signing for Spurs and his versatility and technique won’t look out of place in European footballs top competition.

Replacement

Since it became obvious that Pienaar was leaving Everton the press have been working overtime trying to work out who Everton are going to sign to replace the South African. One of the players Everton have been linked with is Burnley winger Chris Eagles.

The ex-Manchester United definitely wouldn’t be a good replacement for Pienaar. Eagles is far too inconsistent for the top flight. When he is playing well he is easy on the eye but far too often he fails to deliver and a price tag of £4million is just ridiculous.

Everton already have a readymade replacement for Pienaar in Russian international Diniyar Bilyaletdinov. The 25 year-old has struggled to gain regular first team football at Goodison Park but with Pienaar gone ‘Billy’ may now get a decent run in the team.

Striker

Before the transfer window opened in January everybody was talking about how much Everton needed new strikers. Since then the strikers have started scoring but David Moyes side are still in need of a striker.

Moyes has already revealed that any new arrivals will be on loan deals. Everton have been linked with a move for Monaco striker Dieumerci Mbokani. The Congolese forward has told the Ligue One club that he wants to leave and called Everton ‘an attractive option’.

However the striker has struggled for goals in France since a big money move from Belgian side Standard Liege. I don’t see the benefit of a signing another striker who isn’t in goal scoring form, maybe a switch could re-ignite his form.

Shrewd

David Moyes has the ability to spot players and sign them in bargain deals. The latest bargain signing being full-back turned winger Seamus Coleman. The Irish youngster arrived from League of Ireland side Sligo Rovers for just £60,000.

He has been superb this season and is the perfect example of the sort of bargain deal that David Moyes can pull-off. He is one of the best wheeler-dealers in the Premier League. At times he has had to pull rabbits out the hat but has never complained about the situation.

The likes of Tim Cahill, Mikel Arteta and Phil Jagielka are even more high profile examples of Moyes getting the best he can for his money. Moyes has built a good side on a modest budget.

Doubts

I have to admit I have had my doubts over David Moyes tactics and team selections this season. However David Moyes is the best man for the job and his commitment to the Blues has never waned. He gets more decisions right than he does wrong and I believe he has got the decision over Steven Pienaar spot on.

Is Tottenham a good move for Steven Pienaar?