The Rumour Mill, Season 2011-12

Ferguson quoted £20m for Baines

03/06/2012 |

Comments (32)

According to a Manchester United source, Sir Alex Ferguson inquired about Leighton Baines and was told that Everton wanted £20m for their prized left back.

The source, quoted in the Daily Mail, suggested that the Old Trafford boss was not going to pay "these ridiculous prices", which included £20m for Cheick Tiote and £32m for Luka Modric.

Sources closer to Everton insist, however, that while the Blues expect a bid this summer, they have still not had any contact from United regarding Baines.

Original Source: Daily Mail

Comments

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Mark Riding
975 Posted 03/06/2012 at 01:02:06

Is this the same Sir Alex who paid:

£18.5m for Carrick?

£7m for Alan Smith?
£30m for Berbatov?

Silly season indeed.

James Flynn
976 Posted 03/06/2012 at 00:59:41

Damn right Mister Ferguson. Don't give in. Fucking greedy Everton with their ridiculous pricing of an average LB. Let the Evertonians suffer with Baines, he's so special. Asking 20 mil. The cheek of that mid-level bunch.

Thank God for level-headed managers like SAF.

Mark Stone
979 Posted 03/06/2012 at 01:09:18

When it comes from a club source, you know it's bullshit!

Si Cooper
983 Posted 03/06/2012 at 01:22:06

The affrontery of poorer clubs not letting the super-affluent clubs pick off their players for a reasonable sum! Surely this should have been reported under the banner headline "The arrogance of the undeserving rich!" or, preferably, not given the oxygen of publicity at all.

It amounts to tapping-up in public and putting pressure on the clubs who need to make money out of their transfer dealings in order to remain remotely competitive in the EPL.

James Flynn
985 Posted 03/06/2012 at 02:01:26

Si ? Well said on the current state of affairs in the EPL. £20 mil for that mid-table laborer? Well done SAF. Hold fast. £5 million at best.

Stephen Kenny
991 Posted 03/06/2012 at 03:44:12

Aston Villa wrote the blueprint for handling these types of situations when the shite were after Gareth Barry.

Name a price based on what the player is worth to you and don't budge. Market value makes no odds when you dont want to sell.

Tony J Williams
996 Posted 03/06/2012 at 04:55:34

It's on the Daily Nazi so it must be true....it's even got the inverted commas as if he actually said it.....priceless

Kieran Kinsella
998 Posted 03/06/2012 at 05:37:26

I read the "Gossip column" on the BBC every day and The Daily Mail is the only paper that has never had a transfer rumor that turned out to be true. Even The Star once had a rumor about David Speedie joining Liverpool that turned out to be true about 10 years after the article was written.

I spent a bit of time writing for The Bleacher Report a few years ago but gave up after I realized that I was the only person writing there who knew anything about football. The most read articles were just complete rubbish made up my American college students about Everton buying this star or that one.

A lot of it made its way into rumor mills and even Toffeeweb has been known to post links to Bleacher Report articles. Don't because they are just fantasist rubbish and I am convinced that the Daily Mail uses the same kind of sources.

Kieran Kinsella
999 Posted 03/06/2012 at 05:41:34

Also, why would Ferguson be worried about getting a new left back when Rooney aside Evra is probably his best player. You'd think he'd be more concerned with Scholes, Giggs and Ferdinand. No doubt the Mail will have a new story tomorrow that says he has been quoted 110 billion pounds after asking about Shane Duffy, Leon Osman and Ross Barkley.

Michael Kenrick
Editorial Team
001 Posted 03/06/2012 at 05:54:45

It's a daily challenge, Kieran, telling decent sources from indecent ones... but I think I can safely say we never link to transfer rumours on the Bleacher Report. We have put up a few links to their Everton-related stuff in our Around the Web [MEDIA] section. Hopefully, this is not too much of an endorsement.

The Daily Mail is a little more problematic. As a national newspaper (however bad it may be), it ranks as a potential source that we can hardly just ignore. But it helps to maintain the conviction that 90 to 95% of all transfer rumours are bullshit.

Stephen Kenny
017 Posted 03/06/2012 at 09:30:01

I guess any clubs looking for two or three players may make enquiries for up to 50 and pursue a couple from that pool based on what comes of it.

Papers and websites are desperate to break stories and and probably jump the gun to look ITK.

Most people hate this part of the season but I used to love it when there was actually a chance we wold sign somebody.

Guy Hastings
029 Posted 03/06/2012 at 11:15:02

Maybe Moyes should 'do a Cantona'. If SAF calls after Baines, mention that Big Vic's available for 5 mill.

James Stewart
030 Posted 03/06/2012 at 11:14:13

Chelsea bid £40M for Modric and were very publicly knocked back. So why on earth would Utd get him for £32M?! £20M seems about right for Baines. Him and Cole are probably the best left backs in the world at present.

To sell Baines for anything under £20M would be very poor business. Unless it's a player plus cash deal... Nani please!

Andrew Clare
038 Posted 03/06/2012 at 11:58:12

If the story comes from the Daily Mail it is meaningless.
People who buy that newspaper worry me.

David Hallwood
040 Posted 03/06/2012 at 11:52:09

I suppose it is a backhanded compliment when our players are linked with the 'bigger' clubs; yes, it doesn't feel too nice but that's the reality. I could be mis-reading Man Utd's situation but I think the days of them bidding £20M+ for a player are long gone.

No matter how good Scholes & Giggs are, can you imagine the Man Utd of 10-15 years ago not being in the running to sign the hottest property from anywhere in the world? Think of the players that have gone to Spain or Citteh/Chelsea without Man Utd putting a bid in: Ozil, Toure, Mata etc. Therefore, if Fergie wants Baines, it'll be on the cheap, in return for the no fee for Gibson perhaps?

Gareth Fieldstead
044 Posted 03/06/2012 at 12:12:37

I suppose like most fans of our club I am particularly cynical when it comes to our board. Who knows what Baines has been told?

We have seen with sales from the Johnson and Kenwright era that were reported by the press as solely the wish of the player when in actual fact the board were desperate for the sale to go through: Ball, Jeffers, Ferguson, Speed, Kanchelskis... even last season when Arteta left, Moyes never saw a penny.

My hope is that we do get around £20 million and Moyes will be able to spend most of it. Hopefully he spends it more wisely than he did with the Rooney and Lescott money and he does it sooner rather than later.

Mark Lennon
052 Posted 03/06/2012 at 13:28:11

At the end of the day, selling our best players is just a complete backward step! Yes, Moyes needs money to enhance the squad and maybe sort our right-hand side out, but then it would leave our left side in tatters!

It took Baines a good couple of years to get to this level so why cash in when he is now up there with the best?

Baines, Fellaini, Jagielka, Jelavic, Barkley. Do not sell!!!

Vinny Garstrokes
059 Posted 03/06/2012 at 15:02:18

David #40 ? There is definitely something in what you say regarding Gibson. While I am glad we got him, I couldn't believe how easily and quietly it happened. Future back-scratching by SAF and DM must have had something to do with it...

James Stewart
064 Posted 03/06/2012 at 15:31:23

Highly doubt Gibson will have had anything to do with it. He was cheap due to being out of contract this summer. Plus the only other interested party were Sunderland and he turned them down.

Ian Bennett
068 Posted 03/06/2012 at 15:59:08

James, I agree.

He was out of contract and could've signed a pre-contract agreement in any case. We got him on the basis United got something in January rather than nothing in the summer for a squad player that was leaving.

End of story.

Ste Byn
073 Posted 03/06/2012 at 16:23:36

He would not be scared off by £20 million, he's probably thinking he's getting him on the cheap... Damn Bill, £25-30 mil ? get with it, son.

Christopher Brierley
107 Posted 03/06/2012 at 19:33:49

Some ITK on GOT reckons it's already a done deal for £18M!

Ste Byn
111 Posted 03/06/2012 at 19:51:38

"Some ITK on GOT reckons it's already a done deal for £18M"???

ITK???

GOT???

Can you help us oldies out that don't recognise abbreviations such as them?

Drew O'Neall
117 Posted 03/06/2012 at 21:59:16

Feels like a done deal the way the players ie Jagielka and Heitinga know all about it (according to recent interviews), and Baines has been asked about it and handled it so nonchalantly in the England press conference. Also, Moyes talking bout doing his business early all adds up, plus he's got some kind of tacit deal with Utd to let them have all our best players.

Suspect Moyes is trying to do his procurement on the cheap before word gets out.

Christopher Brierley
158 Posted 04/06/2012 at 11:05:29

Sorry. Some In The Know on Grand Old Team (An Everton Forum) reckons its a done deal for £18M.

I thought these terms were common place these days? Obviously not.

Matt Traynor
160 Posted 04/06/2012 at 11:14:25

Too many TLAs Christopher. (Three Letter Acronyms for your benefit Ste!)

Oh well, there's always Distin to play at LB if Garbutt isn't ready yet!

Christopher Brierley
163 Posted 04/06/2012 at 11:28:42

Whats a LB? (only joking)

Sam Hoare
164 Posted 04/06/2012 at 11:33:42

If Baines does go then best to do it early doors. I think around £18-20m is probably about right (unless Man City/Chelsea are involved which adds 15%).

Would imagine that if he did go that we would have £10-15m left to spend which could fetch 2-3 quality players, maybe Pienaar, Hoilett and a good LB (perhaps Aly Cissokho?).

Mark Riding
167 Posted 04/06/2012 at 12:05:22

The abbreviation 'LOL' stands for laught out loud if you didnt know.

As in the phrase 'Joey Barton was punched in the face outside Garlands nightclub at 05.30 this morning ! LOL'

Now I havent had a night out in Liverpool for a while, is Garlands like it used to be ?

John McLoughlin
170 Posted 04/06/2012 at 12:08:28

ITK means ignore as they are not in the know at all

Eric Owen
252 Posted 04/06/2012 at 23:59:05

The only acronym I know as I suspect does all Evertonians is RS .

Derek Williams
345 Posted 05/06/2012 at 17:53:20

Eric. There's also FTRS. RS is an abbreviation of an acronym.

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