Now City are eying up a shot at Baines

Good, good, good, and eight more goods and one big GET IN. Let's start a bidding war shall we - and please let's not have a whisper of Millner plus sponds.

Baines is out of here in January so the question is now how much can we get for him and, needless to say, who will step into his boots?

The Sheik will try and offload a couple of fringe players on us but no thanks oil-man.

I thought that Baines was Schowaddywaddy bollocks on Saturday and has not had a game anywhere near his own high standards since erm, well, erm, since, hang on, since you know that game last season.

Cash in, get rid, he sadly no longer wants to be with us and contrary to the unmitigated bollocks from our Norwegian Blue the contract has always been there to sign.

Fingers crossed that a few more clubs join the chase as it will force the ginger shitbag to cough up more coz there's only one place out soon to be former left back is heading.

I was really worried that Baines would leave in the summer but it looks to me like he's lost his spark. I'd love him to recapture his form, passion and drive but if he continues in this vein then I'd definitely consider selling him to the highest bidder. £15m to start with plus a player like Hernandez or Dzeko.

Our history of signing explayers it'll surely be Lescott, Rodwell and some cash. I wouldn't touch either with a barge pole. Straight cash please.

Sell Baines and then go three at the back?

Silva and Toure plus cash.

Couldn't we get an Extreme Makeover on Leon Osman - like stick a wig on him and get him to grow his sideys? That would please a few on here...

Two teams in for him should help. If we got £15m for him I think would be ok. The main reason being he has not signed a new contract and made it clear he wanted to leave.

Playing wise he has been doing ok. He has not created as much, but has been spot on in defence and two goals were outstanding. Think he has shown he has a good around game. We have exciting time ahead of us as RM builds a team and if we could make the 3 loans permanent then think we have done well. Bring in 3-4 more players over the year and we should be around the top 4.

Let's just get at least £15 million for him and move onwards and upwards. I'm sick of hearing things like: £7 million and Zaha, how often do clubs actually trade cash plus player deals? Not very often, I'm struggling to remember hardly any at all. Can someone come up with lots of examples please?

Baines will have 18 months left on his contract come January and it already appears to be painfully obvious that his heart is elsewhere. £15 million is realistic.

This whole Baines saga is really getting old, he's obviously out of here otherwise he'd have signed a new contract, the good part of this story if true is that it will drive the price up. He'll still end up at Man Utd though.

People easily forget we did pay £4 mill for Oviedo and for me he'll be a fine replacement.

More worried about his replacement than I am of him leaving. Is Oviedo any good at left back. Can't remember him playing therefor us.

His dip in form is interesting. Is it because Pienaar has been absent? Has he been asked to play a different role under Martinez? He has certainly been less effective over the last few months. Whatever it is, it doesn’t explain the free kick towards the end of the game on Saturday.

I love the way people focus on the transfer fee. What matters is how much would be available to spend. We could get £800 million for him, but Roberto might only end up with the rail fare to see Marine (plus the profits from the last transfer window of course …..)

I think its time we accept he's off. I just dread the thought of Kenwright "haggling" with his old buddy! You can just imagine City come in with £20m but Kenwright wants to patch up the relationship with the former love of his life and so let Utd have him for £5m and Darren Fletcher.

I am not sure whether there is weight in City after Baines because he would not fit in their team. They either play with attacking midfielders with Yaya behind them or they play with wingers. What Baines needs is the same as Fellaini, basically being the centre of attention of the team. If they don't get that then their performances suffer,

Everyone saying that baines form has suffered so far this season, has it not occured to anyone that he is perhaps being taken out of games by the other team? How can your attacking fullback get forward if the other team are waiting to run inside?

I can't believe some of the comments on here about Baines. Yes, Saturday was his poorest game for a while, but come on, he's not going to be brilliant every week! We've also got to consider the fact that other teams have go to great lengths to nulify our threat from the left in recent months. He has been our most consistent performer for a long time and a dip in form is only natural. I'd be gutted to see him go to the mancs or anywhere else for that matter.

More bidders the merrier. Chelsea must fancy a better cole replacement than Bertrand (who I could see us going for if baines leaves)

I'll take 20m cash and Martinez to hopefully spend it wisely. Banega, Ince and Siquera perhaps.

Matthew, is it just a dip in form or is he distracted and just counting down the days till January? I'd love Bainsey to stay but if the mancs come ack for him in January it's more then likely he'll be off so we have to plan for the future now.
Is Oviedo good enough to step up? I'm not sure as he doesn't even make it off the bench to give Baines or Pienaar a breather. Apparently, Garbutt is very good but still not ready for this level. So what to do? I've seen Bertrand several times and like him a lot. It's only cashley that's keeping him out of that team. Kolarov is another player I rate highly. Like I said, I'd hate to see Bainsey go but he IS replaceable like every other player.

Col - I'd like to believe it is just a dip and think it most probably is - the West Ham game was after the window for a start when he won us the game and I find it hard to believe that a local lad wouldn't give his all for us whilst in a blue shirt.

Colin Glassar # 754 Sorry to say but it's not Cole that's keeping Bertrand out of team. Azcilpueta has started left back last two Chelski games, with Cole on bench. That says to me that Mourinho doesn't think Bertrand up to the job. If he's not good enough for their bench, he certainly ain't good enough for us!

A straight swop with Baines for Lukaku with Chelsea would be ideal.

For those questioning why we haven't seen more of Oviedo, I would suggest the reasons are obvious: Baines and Pienaar.

Costa Rica easily qualified for Brazil and Oviedo was a regular starter at left back. I have to wonder why he hasn't made more noise about getting more playing time? Surely he doesn't want to be warming the bench all season especially with the World Cup around the corner... Has he been told something we all already know? He has 25 caps for Costa Rica, and don't forget it was Moyes who brought him in at £4 mill — I think that tells us he was/is highly rated.

Correction on Oviedo: I believe the transfer fee was around £2 mill, anyway here is a nice piece on him for those interested:

http://myevertonnews.com/bryan-oviedo-potential-hero-or-zero/

Kev, it seems like Jose does prefer Azpilicueta (who's a RB) over both cashley and Bertrand. The special one does strange things now and again. Still, Bertrand is highly rated by many in the game and I think he is a possible candidate and he's what? 23?

Kevin, thanks for the link to the Oviedo article. As I've said many times here, I'm a big Oviedo fan, having watched him a half-dozen times for Costa Rica and then last summer here against Juventus -- admittedly a summer friendly, but his class was obvious.

I'm convinced we need no other replacement should Baines depart. As the article says, Oviedo isn't very physical defensively... but then, neither is Baines. And if you're positionally smart and take the correct angles, you don't need to be a strong tackler, as Baines has proven. Oviedo has that intelligence. He dominated fine opposing forwards from the USA, Mexico (Chicharito) and Honduras in WC qualifying this year.

As for making noise about playing time, we don't know that he hasn't. We just know he hasn't made it publicly.

Good point about him making a fuss Mike, the thing I don't understand is posters saying he isn't good enough when they've hardly seen him play, I also watched him in the WC qualifiers and pre season and I believe he is easily good enough to replace Baines if and when he moves, btw before I get jumped on I'm also not saying he is as good as Baines(yet) but how many lb's are? Another huge plus is he's only 23, five years younger than Baines so there is lots of time for improvement.

Lastly if you follow his twitter he comes across as very intelligent(like Baines) humble and most importantly very proud and excited to be at Everton, I like that.

People always come out with "Oviedo, is he good enough?" — Of course he's good enough, he just needs playing time.

"Garbut, is he good enough?" — Well, we won't know till he's given a bloody chance. Our manager needs to coach these players and start resting the likes of Jags & Distin for Stones & Heitinga — not in that order mind you. We have a squad; let's start using them.

If he does go to City, then we need a top class replacement for him immediately.

I am surprised Oviedo has not been used more. Seems a technically gifted player with pace and energy that would surely suit Martinez's system.

If Baines goes in January, I'm not sure Martinez has sufficient trust in Oviedo to see him as a permanent replacement. Perhaps he will get more game time over the winter if Baines's exit is looking more likely.

Otherwise I suspect some of the cash will be used to buy a replacement. Davies, Bertrand and Sisquera being the players mentioned in the rags.

As much as I hate the image of him in another shirt, the blow would be softened if he joined Man City instead of Man Utd. Hopefully they pay over the odds and give us a player on the cheap.

When Baines goes I’d prefer to replace him with a more defense minded full-back rather than a wing-back and add a more out-and-out left winger with goals in him to replace Pienaar who’s there primarily to compliment a wing-back.

Noel, I think the days of Man City paying well over the true value for players is long gone. They seem to be far more responsible these days. If both Manc clubs offer around the £15M mark than I'd prefer him to go to City, tbh. Like I've said before I'd take that plus Kolarov.

Like Conor (941) I too would prefer a mode defensive minded replacement if Baines goes but for a different reason.

I think we defend better when we just have one full back getting forward. If the attack breaks down then the two centre backs and remaining full back are better placed to shuffle over and cover-especially if we have a defensive mid fielder to help cover the centre of defence. This would assist Coleman , who tends to have poor positional sense and gets pulled too far out of position. If Baines goes then we could use Coleman as the full back who attacks.

Brazil may be able to have two attacking full backs but I don't think we have the players to do that.

I can not believe the comments some people are making about Baines. True; he does not seem to be as effective as last season but the reason could be that he may have been asked to play a different role by the manager.

Does anybody honestly believe that, whatever fee we get for the best left back in the country, BK will release enough funds to replace him with someone just as good or better than Baines? Myself and others have often stated that by selling your best players, you only weaken your own team and strengthen the opposition.

At the end of this season, we will have two players going back to their clubs from loan spells and another player on loan who, unless his wage gets lowered, we may not sign...

With other players aging plus others not considered Premier League standard, I think we should hold onto all our players till the end of the season and, with the remainder of the Fellaini transfer (unless that has vanished down the black hole), use it for the January window.

With the World Cup coming up, Baines may want to stay and get a regular start that he may not be assured of with the clubs rumored to want him.

I thought he had a pretty good game, Paul Ferry (688), against West Ham THIS season.

Baines wants to go, and with just 18 months on his contract I would sell come January.

We will miss him, especially his offensive qualities, but we can surely get a decent left back for 10+ mill pounds. Maybe a better defender, which isn't Baines' strongest card And maybe some spear change for a playmaker.

Baines is gone in January or July. I wish him the best of luck. And hope I I am mistaken..