I get the impression that this deal is probably already agreed and what we are seeing now is the PR being managed to let Everton appear to be driving a hard bargain by rejecting a "derisory" £10-12m before they ultimately accept £15-17m.
Leighton Baines
- Thread starter ::sonny::
- Start date
Nobody apart from you has said that Baines is world class, he's better than Evra for the past two seasons though and that's undeniable.
You look football from a very weird tangent.
I do rate Baines, in fact I think he's a good player. However I dont think he's as good as Evra. Playing at top level is a whole different cup of tea. Just ask the likes of Charlie Adam and Ashley Young.
Whereas France are winning everything, yeah?
FFS France won the WC in 1998. The last time England won the WC, Bobby Charlton was still playing football.Which makes you wonder, considering the amount of great players they have.
When the feck did this happen?
Apparently, Guardian thinks that if Alcantara option doesn't materialize, we'll go for Fellaini.
It is a different cup of tea and if we took this attitude we probably wouldn't of signed loads of players that have been superb for us over the years. When Ronaldo left, we signed Valencia from Wigan, and although he isn't no way near the player Ronaldo was for us (not many are, or will be), Valencia has managed to perform at a high level for United, high enough to get voted our player of the season not too long back. Just because they are at a lesser club, does not mean they can't make the step up.
I think Baines will be a fantastic addition to the team if I'm honest.
Raiding your old club for players makes sense because you do know those players better than your current new team. But if you assess a weakness in the current squad I suppose its less risky to buy a) EPL tested players b) players you have worked with.
However for the prices you pay for these players and our overriding need elswhere - I am not sure we need to buy Baines. Everton will hold out for £15m plus - which like Young is a way overpriced for a player going to be 29 in December.
However for the prices you pay for these players and our overriding need elswhere - I am not sure we need to buy Baines. Everton will hold out for £15m plus - which like Young is a way overpriced for a player going to be 29 in December.
I am not saying that we shouldn't buy players from smaller clubs. What I am saying is that its unfair to compare between players playing at a club like Man United and players playing with clubs like Everton. The pressure and expectations are different and players at United are constantly scrutinized. Players like Adam, Young, Howard and Foster are clear example of that.
No neutral non British football fan would rate Baines as better then Evra.
No. Please no.
We have limited funds and spending £15 - 18m on a left back who is just three years younger than our current performing leftbavk is money not well spent. We need to strengthen in other areas first like central midfield and out wide especially if as likely Nani leaves.
Baines can cross well, however he is not very quick (relatively speaking). He is quite good but isn't essential.
This signing will get criticized despite its merits, due to the fact that it resembles what happens every time a new manager joins a club. He tries to bring a player up a level. It doesn't always work (an example being Ince and Keith Andrews)
12 million on a player who isn't really needed, when there are midfield positions to be filled is another reason. Once that is done other transfers would be more readily accepted. In some respects this is reminiscent of the Ashley Young signing (mature English player without much European experience, in a position in which we were decently covered)
Going for Baines makes those were negative about Moyes, even more skeptical.
This signing will get criticized despite its merits, due to the fact that it resembles what happens every time a new manager joins a club. He tries to bring a player up a level. It doesn't always work (an example being Ince and Keith Andrews)
12 million on a player who isn't really needed, when there are midfield positions to be filled is another reason. Once that is done other transfers would be more readily accepted. In some respects this is reminiscent of the Ashley Young signing (mature English player without much European experience, in a position in which we were decently covered)
Going for Baines makes those were negative about Moyes, even more skeptical.
Says who?
He's rated incredibly highly by the fans who actually see him play every week. Probably too highly, to be frank, but he is clearly the best left-back in the league.
Yeah, we really don't.
Yeah, we really don't.
Anyone who compares this to the signing of Ashley Young is mental. Baines has been (close to) the best left back in the league for the last few years, Young was always a meh player who was probably going to be meh for us, and was meh for us.
Baines will also start pretty much every single match, whereas we always knew Young was a squad player who might step up a level.
Mentioning him does remind me though, we'll now have ten (10) full England internationals in the squad. Maybe the press will finally stop bemoaning 'big clubs' not having English players, and be a bit more specific about Chelsea and City.
Mentioning him does remind me though, we'll now have ten (10) full England internationals in the squad. Maybe the press will finally stop bemoaning 'big clubs' not having English players, and be a bit more specific about Chelsea and City.
I think I would agree if we was buying him as a squad player, but this move for Baines indicates to me the Evra is probably off this summer, and if that's the case, I'm sure we would get some money for him. You say we need to strengthen in other areas, and I agree on that, but we don't know what is going on behind the scenes, do we? For all we know Evra may have asked to leave and it has forced our hand.
If we are selling Evra, then there are hardly any full backs available who are better than Baines. He'll make a lot of people eat there words if we manage to sign him. While there are younger alternatives available, none are as good as him.
Do we have £100m? I suspect we will spend no more than £50-£60m this summer.
Is that your definition of limited funds?
So would you still buy Baines even if Evra was not off?
Funds are limited by definition but I don't see us splashing £100m.
Hard to say if I'm honest. The price we would have to pay for him at the age he is now, suggests to me that he will be more than just a squad player tbh. IMO, if Evra wasn't going, then we wouldn't be buying.
Utter horseshit by the way and totally irrelevant. Baines would have 50 caps if it wasnt for Ashley Cole who has been the best left back in the world for years. Baines has developed into a player equally as good as Coles current level, if not better and is a better attcking player than Cole ever was.
People rave about attacking full-backs the world over - the vast majority of whom can't defend. Here's a player who can offer a massive attacking threat and can also defend, and has proven it in the PL consistently.
Its typical doom and gloom on here and I wonder sometimes if some people actually every watch any teams in the PL other than United. Over the last 2 - 3 seasons he's been outstanding and a major reason for Everton's massive overachievement.
How it can be a negative that United are trying to buy an established English PL star - one who could slot right in and offer great crossing going forward, solid defending and an option at free-kicks - is beyond me.
If we sign him then I hope its because Evra is off to Monaco for a final payday in the sun. How much you expect we will get for Evra then?
If the sign Baines Evra will be moved on in my opinion - probably back to France.
He's been a good servant and I like him as a player. Last season was a success for him and it'd be a good time to go. Likewise, its a good time for Baines to come to United and help his manager in his first season.
No room for sentiment in football - one lesson Fergie taught us all I think. Changes will happen under the new management and some players will move on, its the way it has to be.
Even if that's true, and no one knows how much we can spend, that's more than enough for this summer.
Probably safe to assume Evra is leaving. Otherwise this would be a waste of money just now - Evra drives me nuts at times but we wouldn't need Baines as well as him.
Baines will do a very good job if he arrives and I've no issues (assuming Evra leaves) but I'm one of those who'd like to see Fabio take over from Evra and bring Shaw in as rotation/cover and let Buttner go on loan. I don't see it as that risky as now Shaw and Fabio have several premier league games under their belt and have both done pretty well and have plenty of potential to become very good players.
Never mind - Baines seems to be who we want and he'd be a very solid signing.
Baines will do a very good job if he arrives and I've no issues (assuming Evra leaves) but I'm one of those who'd like to see Fabio take over from Evra and bring Shaw in as rotation/cover and let Buttner go on loan. I don't see it as that risky as now Shaw and Fabio have several premier league games under their belt and have both done pretty well and have plenty of potential to become very good players.
Never mind - Baines seems to be who we want and he'd be a very solid signing.
I dunno, Monaco have limited funds.
Limited to £50-£60m is enough money to bring in a good midfielder and a LB/CB/whatever we need.
Even if we want a new LB and are planning on letting Evra go, I'd go for someone like Shaw instead of Baines. Arguably I'd say placing our bets on Fabio as first choice LB would be a better option long term as well.
£17m for a good full back who will be 29 this year is very bad business. £12m would have been about right for him, anything more just doesn't make sense.
Baines is a better player than Shaw is right now, and I don't see why Shaw would want to leave Southampton to sit on our bench when he is getting so much game time at such an incredibly young age at a club that seems to be on the up. We may well be in for Shaw when he moves, which will be 2-3 seasons from now, which will give us enough time to assess Fabio's progress while not weakening our team in the short term.
12M on Zaha, 15-18m on Baines and 15-25m on *midfielder* will most likely be our transfer spending for the year. In addition to the random youngsters we invariably buy.
only time will tell. i was having a look at the Young thread, there were a lot of people talking about how it is a great signing/ 2nd highest number of assists, etc and shouting down anyone who were questioning the value of the signing.
Baines is a good player but his value is questionable (assuming Evra stays). In case of it being a replacement, then yes it makes sense.
