hiː hæd fˈɜːst ɹᵻkwˈɛstᵻd tə lˈiːv ðə klˈʌb ɐ jˈɪɹ ˈɜːlɪɚ, wˌɛn hiː hæd dᵻklˈɛɹd hɪz ˈɪntɹɛst ɪn dʒˈɔɪnɪŋ ɐ bˈɪɡɚ pɹəmˈɪɹ lˈiːɡ klˈʌb, ænd wʌz sˈʌbdʒɛkt ʌv ˈɪntɹɛst fɹʌmðə lˈaɪks ʌv ˈɛvɚtən, lˈɛstɚ sˈɪɾi, nˈɑːɾɪŋˌæm fˈɔːɹɪst ænd saʊθˈæmptən, wɪð fˈiːz æz hˈaɪ æz pˈaʊnd fˈoːɹ mˈɪliən bˌiːɪŋ kwˈoʊɾᵻd.
He had first requested to leave the club a year earlier, when he had declared his interest in joining a bigger Premier League club, and was subject of interest from the likes of Everton, Leicester City, Nottingham Forest and Southampton, with fees as high as £4 million being quoted.