Everton and English left-back Leighton Baines are getting closer and closer to signing a new contract with Everton after constant and outstanding performances in his field. The 29-year-old striking back has now made more than 210 appearances with the Toffees; scored 19 goals in the Premier League since his departure from Wigan Athletic in 2007; for an estimated sum of about 5 million pounds with an additional 1 million pounds in additional fees.
The duration of the contract extension has not yet been confirmed, but his salary is estimated at about per week. The board and manager Roberto Martinez hope he will remain in the elite for the rest of his career at Everton.
The Toffees are currently on a break in Tenerife (Spain) after a rather busy but successful first half of the season and Baines seems ready to sign the new contract on their return on the weekend before the Monday night game against West Bromwich Albion (kick-off 20 o’clock).
After seven years at the club, Leighton won 22 caps for his native England; scored his first and so far only goal for England in September 2012 against Moldova in the qualifying campaign for the 2014 World Cup; scored a deflected free-kick to secure England’s 5-0 victory over the Moldovan minnows.
Former Everton manager and now Manchester United manager David Moyes twice failed to recruit the left-back to join the Red Devils and reunite the backroom with his former manager. The offer also included the Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini for a joint sum of the two players for 28 million pounds. The offer was rejected by Everton’s board and described as “rude and ridiculous”.”Fellaini eventually went to Manchester United for 27.5 million pounds.
And with Baines looking to sign a new contract with the Toffees in the next few days, the offer rumour for the backline seems to be obsolete.
In the news about transfers, Roberto Martinez claimed his interest in Stoke City striker Kenwyne Jones and Jones said that he wanted to make a transfer to Goodison Park after the striker failed to arrive for Stoke City’s match against Liverpool. This could be a possibility as Nikica Jelavic seems almost ready to join Steve Bruce’s Hull City and luring Jones to Everton would fill the gap left by the Croatian international.
