Moyes: I decided to sell Arteta

Everton boss David Moyes admits he was the one who okayed Mikel Arteta’s sale to Arsenal.

The Spanish playmaker made a transfer deadline day move to Arsenal, leaving the Toffees desperately short on quality in midfield.

Even though the reports suggested that Moyes had been under pressure to sell Arteta, the gaffer has denied such claims.

“Let’s be clear about Mikel, I make the decisions here, so it was my decision that the player went,” Moyes told club’s official website.

“It wasn’t the chairman telling me I have to sell the player or anything like that. Mikel wanted to go and we had turned down a chance to sell him last year.

“I didn’t sell him last year and said to him that I would get him a team that would challenge for the Champions League.

“We didn’t do that and I owed it to him to give him the opportunity to play in the Champions League.”