Chelsea join supposed queue for Baines

So there's to be a bidding war for one of the world's best LB's who is valued by the club @ £15m. Is that the down payment and does anyone know how much more is on offer, or could this be-heaven fordid- another complete load of shite dreamt up by a cub reporter.

£15 million — if we had to sell, it would have to be at least £40million for one of the best left backs in the world.

I don't think there is much chance he would want to leave while we are in and around the top 4. He is Champions League quality, though... so – if we don't make it and he wants to jump ship come the end of the season – I would wish him well. No one deserves it more than him.

Whoops. Been busy at work and with relatives in visiting. Is Silly Season upon us so soon?

I wouldn't accept £15 million just for his right foot.

It's bollocks anyway.

£15 million should be enough for one of his sideburns.

LB would not like to live in the capital city, end of.

With a name like Leighton Baines (LB) his position was always going to be left back (LB) – does he have a brother called Ray Baines (RB) or should he have been named Freddy Baines (FB) and had two good feet to play in both full back positions!

Too much turkey and wine – I'll get my coat!

£20 m and he might be off. To sell him for less than that would be cardinal.

Yaaaaaawn. Baines himself said in a tv interview not so long ago that no one will be leaving including himself during January, lazy reporting.

It's only Rafa playing his usual mind games, get set for more between now and Sunday.

It was him that labelled us a small club wasn't it?

Patrick Murphy.

I forgot all about that, spot on mate.

Why would a a class act top professional and humble man like Baines go to that bunch of gun toting, team mate's wife shagging, racist, lying, referee-hounding, cheating misfit, cock-juggling thundercuunts?

I imagine he would want to stay in the northwest... and if he went anywhere, I could understand him going to United, a club that carries itself with SOME sort of professionalism.

Who exactly at the club values players? £15 million? Double it and we'll talk.....

James, #411, I want to see this banner hanging for the Goodison on Sunday:

"Bunch of gun toting, team mate's wife-shagging, racist, lying, referee-hounding, cheating misfit cock-juggling thundercunts!"

#411 James Morgan, what do you really think of Chelsea?

Clubs can report other clubs when they believe that tapping up has occurred. I wonder whether Clubs can report the meejah? They've been running these Baines to Man U/City/Chelsea stories for the last 2-3 windows, and I know for a fact that clubs/agents are often the source for these stories. The price quoted is ludicrous though.

There are only 2 ways Baines will leave. If he wants to (he doesn't), or if the Greatest Evertonian needs to raise some ready cash (hmmm).

Steven Telford,
I ain't paying if the print shop charges by the letter!

If we didn't qualify for Champions League and Bainesy did say he wanted to leave to have a crack at the CL, then I'd only sell to highest bidder and I'm pretty sure that would be PSG but I doubt Bainesy would want to go play in the French league?

It's alright going to PSG for all their money and to play CL but the standard of their league isn't great and, being the person Bainesy is, I'm sure he wouldn't just go anywhere for the money.

And IF Man Utd or Chelsea did meet our valuation for him come the summer... and IF we haven't qualified for the CL ourselves, I think he'd rather stay in the northwest and go to Man Utd possibly?

I'd like to think he wouldn't go and we didn't have to sell but let's face the facts: we ARE a selling club and, IF we don't make the CL, some of our players will want to go and sample it.

But we will get top dollar for our players and, if the likes of Baines and Felli leave, we'll just replace 'em and kick on again — like we always have when we sell a star player.

IF they were both to leave in the summer, I'd be very, very disappointed if we didn't get close to between £40M - £50M for them both at least!

And imagine what we could do with a big chunk of that?!?

You're forgetting about our chairman, guys. Isn't he the guy who wouldn't sell Rooney for £50m, so promptly flogged him for half of that.

Personally, I don't see LB leaving. He seems very down to earth and happy here. The squad is as good as its ever been. The only way I could see him leaving is if Moyes doesn't sign up on a new deal.

In other news Lewis Holtby has rejected contract talks with Schalke. If we could get hold of this guy somehow he would bring so much to the team and could turn into one of the top midfielders in Europe.

Wayne Smith.

I agree with what you say there, but also Bill knows that if he sells any top players then Moyes will not even consider signing a new contract. Any player that leave will be solely under Moyes's instruction. And Baines will not be one of them.

The only player in the squad that I'd be sick if we let go. He has been a model of consistency since he broke into the side. If there is anything in these idiotic rumours, it'd be folly to accept anything less than £25 mil regardless of his age or what he's got left on his contract.

£15 mil doesn't come close to what he is worth.

I don't think we should sell Baines or Fellaini, however if we did sell either then I'd want it to be to Chelsea with us taking Marko Marin as part of the deal. His value should be reasonably low at the moment due to his lack of appearances, but he's a quality player.

All of the players have came out and said that they are not leaving. Moyes will not sign his contract until after January.

If anyone leaves, it will be the decision of the board. The players are not giving them the chance to put their bullshit spin on any transfer by blaming the player.

They're all too wise to it now.

It happened to the Gooners with Fabregas and RvP. I hope it doesn't happen to us. I would be very upset.

Thank heaven for some of the hilarious comments. They can be very uplifting to an old codger like me. Keep it up boys. You are all priceless.

We're a selling club for the right price (or less on occasion); if Baines wants to win a load of medals before his knees go, his future is somewhere else. I don't see him still being here two years from now, and I would wish him well if he left.

90% of the clubs in this league are selling clubs, only Man City and Man Utd can keep the vultures at bay and they only really have to answer to two bigger dogs (Madrid and Barcelona). If Baines does get sold, take the money and move on, he is a wonderful left back but we would find someone else.

Not every player sale has to be interpreted as an indicator of our decline or that we're nothing more than a selling club. The media want to paint it that way but there's no reason we have to. Out of all the players under Moyes, only Rooney, Lescott, Arteta and Pienaar were sold 'upwards' against the wish of Moyes. Arguably Arteta had had his best days with us and Pienaar has returned. That makes two major departures in 10 years. Why does everyone, including a lot of our own fans, label us a selling club?

Liverpool sold Alonso, Torres, Mascherano, Benayoun and Meireles all to bigger clubs. Tottenham sold Carrick, Modric and VdV; Arsenal sold everyone. Yet only Arsenal are occasionally labelled a selling club out of these three whilst we, who have in the main kept hold of our big stars for longer than most, yet get panned for being a selling club.

How come Fellaini, Baines, Mirallas, Jelavic, Jagielka and Barkley are all apparently off if we don't get Champions League this year but Suarez is content to stick around in midtable mediocrity for the best years of his career? How come Bale isn't going to go if Tottenham don't make Champions League?

The media (full of ex RS) will do their utmost to keep Everton on the outside looking in and will forever portray us as some plucky upstart who are dogged and determined no matter how glamorous are football is but who ultimately sell all of their star players (they've never yet reconciled how we have so many desirable top players yet in their eyes play direct football all the time). They are good enough at putting us down themselves, we don't need our own fans branding us a selling club at every opportunity as well!

Well said, James. Top comment.

The Mail is joining in the game, only they're claiming it's Man Utd, with talks already under way... or so they say:

Manchester United make fresh £15m move for Everton defender Baines

Why sign Butland, and bid supposedly the same £15m as in the summer? If you want him try a number beginning with a 2.

I agree with you, James but I'm shocked at our valuation of Baines. Seriously, only £15M? Useless players like Henderson, Carroll, etc are sold for far more. Bale is being valued at £33M... but no, we decide that we will sell one of our best (if not THE BEST) for peanuts. If Man Utd or any other rich team want him, they should be prepared to pay at least £25M for him.

I'm sure I will get a lot of flack for saying this but he is the best left-back in Premier League and one of the top in the world right now. I would be gutted to see him go, but I would be able to deal with it if it's for a worthy price!