With Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini copping a three-match ban after his blatant head-butt on Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross in their English Premier League at the weekend, the chances of the Belgian international waving goodbye to Goodison Park have increased considerably, with Chelsea waiting in the wings to make a bid.
The Blues have been heavily linked with a move for the Everton man for some time now, and with David Moyes expressing his displeasure at Fellaini's disciplinary problems, time could be nigh for Chelsea to make a bid when the window reopens in January.
The FA handed a three-match ban to Fellaini Monday for his unacceptable actions in the game against Stoke.
"The FA has charged Everton's Marouane Fellaini retrospectively with violent conduct following his side's game at Stoke City," a statement said.
"The charge is in relation to an incident in the 59th minute involving Fellaini and Stoke City's Ryan Shawcross, which was not seen by the match officials, but caught on video.
"The referee confirmed that he saw two further incidents in the 71st and 91st minutes, also involving Fellaini and Shawcross, neither of which he deemed to be violent conduct."
Moyes earlier expressed his unhappiness at his player, saying the player had no case for defense. "We were always going to accept whatever punishment we got," he said. "We know he did wrong. We apologise for the incident."
Fellaini apologized for the head-butt, to both his team and Shawcross, but it is looking increasingly likely that the 25-year-old might well have played his last game for the Toffees, with Moyes seriously considering accepting a bid of around £25-30 million ($40-48 million) in January.
Chelsea will have no problems matching the fee for one of the best players in the Premier League, with French club Paris Saint Germain also reportedly keeping tabs on the midfielder.
If Fellaini were to move to Stamford Bridge, he will most probably have to slot back into a more defensive role, with the plethora of attacking talent at Chelsea's disposal, rather than carrying on in the position behind the striker.
That might be something that both the player and the club will have to take into consideration before agreeing on a move.
