It seems Arsenal target Marouane Fellaini will have to submit an official transfer request to see his potential move to the Emirates Stadium materialize, as new Everton boss Roberto Martinez takes interest from other clubs as a compliment and not pressure.

Arsene Wenger has been in the search for a formidable central midfielder ever since the departure of Alex Song to Barcelona. Song consistently played the role for many seasons, and became an integral part of the squad, leaving the side vulnerable in his current absence. Similarly, Song combined with Cesc Fabregas to form a strong midfield engine which had creativity to assist the attack line, and the strength to protect the defense. The pair’s move to the Catalan giants immediately resulted in the Gunners being linked to Fellaini, a player who began as a defensive midfielder, but developed as an all-rounder on the pitch.

The strong Belgian has steadily become one of the most lethal weapons in the Everton squad, and his skills were honed effectively by former boss David Moyes. Fellaini shared a unique relationship with Moyes, and one that was responsible for his transformation into an attacking player.

The current Arsenal midfield includes the likes of Fellaini’s former team mate Mikel Arteta, who was part of the Everton setup under Moyes. The pair developed an impressive partnership, and were consistently a part of the squad at Goodison Park. A move to Arsenal would see the pair reunite, and display a similar partnership, with a squad challenging for the title, unlike at Merseyside.

Wenger has seen prime transfer targets being snatched by other clubs, and will not delay further with his remaining targets. This week saw Gonzalo Higuain seal a switch to Napoli, while Stevan Jovetic completed a move to Manchester City. Chelsea have also completed three signings earlier in the window, leaving the Gunners as the only club not to have signed a high profile player.

According to Yahoo! Eurosport, Martinez has denied receiving any bids for Fellaini and left back Leighton Baines, who has been linked with Manchester United.

Martinez said, “I wouldn’t want to stop the speculation, I do think the speculation is healthy,”

“If we’ve got clubs talking about our players, I’ll take it as a compliment because the players have been impressing and doing really well.”

“But we are in a great position financially and we want to start the season with the best possible squad that we have, and for that we have to work extremely hard.”