The response was terse and to the point.

“I have always said that we are not selling any players and that hasn’t changed,” manager David Moyes told www.evertonfc.com.

However, after rejecting bids of £15m and £18m from the cash-rich Eastlands outfit, Everton may have left the door open for a third offer.

Contrary to popular belief, City are working to a budget on the Lescott deal, which is believed to be £20m.

While that figure could be nudged up a touch should the Toffeemen indicate their willingness to play ball, there is clearly not much room for manoeuvre.

So, having acknowledged the 26-year-old wishes to leave Goodison Park, Everton are now bracing themselves for a third bid.

Should this receive the same reaction as the last two, City are likely to turn their attentions elsewhere, just as they looked set to do at the weekend before apparently receiving positive indications about the transfer being pushed through.

However, there remains enough optimism about the potential for a deal to encourage City to pursue the matter further, which is why bids for Matthew Upson and former City skipper Sylvain Distin will not be made until a conclusion is reached, with the possibility of Lescott taking direct action not being entirely ruled out once he gets back from England’s friendly with Holland in Amsterdam.

Manager Mark Hughes was determined to sign another central defender even before Kolo Toure limped out of Saturday’s friendly win over Celtic.

The desire remains strong, although with time running out before Saturday’s Premier League opener at Blackburn, Hughes may end up using the August transfer deadline as his cut-off point like everyone else rather than the first game.

It also seems there might be at least one more significant outgoing from the City squad this month as Martin Petrov expressed his desire to leave.

A crowd favourite in his first season at Eastlands under Sven-Goran Eriksson, Petrov missed virtually all last year because of a cruciate knee ligament injury.

However, the sheer number of attacking players at Hughes’ disposal always meant someone was going to be squeezed out.

And, with Robinho occupying his favoured left-sided berth, the Bulgarian is ready to seek pastures new.

“I don’t see City depending too much on me this year, at least from what I have seen from the pre-season friendlies so far,” he said.

“No footballer is content with polishing the bench and I am no exception.

“I am not in the plans of the City officials or manager Mark Hughes.

“In the next week I will try to speak with Hughes and if I get the green light for a transfer I will start searching for a new team.”