Continuing to explore ways of improving the club, Manchester United and first-year manager David Moyes hope to secure a transfer signing before the September 2 deadline arrives. Rumored to have been in pursuit of marquee players such as Tottenham's Gareth Bale and Real Madrid's Luka Modric, the Red Devils appear ready to entertain secondary options since the team's main goal is to improve its roster a year removed from winning another English Premier League championship, something Moyes hopes he can repeat after taking over for Alex Ferguson in July.
According to multiple sources, Man U has already inquired about the availability of Everton duo Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini, even proposing an offer of £28 million for the pair last week. Though speculation is that a second bid of £38 million has come from Old Trafford, Everton boss Roberto Martinez is adamant in his stance that Baines has not asked for a departure from the club even though the left back has aspirations of playing in the Champions League while reuniting with former manager David Moyes.
"No," Martinez said when asked if formal transfer requests were submitted from his coveted pair. "You are going to get so many stories. The two players [Baines and Fellaini] have been true professionals and that is what I want, players that are dedicated to the club and dedicated to the team. We're at the end of the transfer window and we'll have to cope with those stories. I'm not going to comment on anything regarding the transfer window in terms of coming in or going out. If there's anything to say, the fans will be the first ones to know. We'll let them know."
While the potential move to bring in the Everton pair certainly isn't viewed as the top priority for Manchester United during the current transfer period, David Moyes seems set on moving in on Baines and Fellaini, an act the current leader at Goodison Park doesn't appreciate.
"If managers start talking about players who are registered at other clubs, that is the end of the whole thing," Roberto Martinez said to ESPN FC recently. "I think everyone should look after their own things internally. I am sure they have got many issues in the same manner, and I could easily come out and give my opinions about these players, but I will be more respectful than that.
I could sit down and give you half an hour with my vision of how the other club is being run, the players they want to go and how they should be sending messages to all the clubs around the world that they have been trying to sign players and haven't been able to do it."
The addition of midfielder Marouane Fellaini would certainly help David Moyes upgrade a position he felt needed a boost heading into the summer transfer window. As a player who has scored 25 goals in 140 matches with Everton since joining the club in 2008, the 25-year-old would undoubtedly add to the midfield unit consisting of Ashley Young, Shinji Kagawa, Nani and others.
Baines on the other hand would serve as a player needed to fortify the Old Trafford defensive setup. With players like Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra already on the roster, the addition of Leighton Baines would provide Moyes and company with extra defensive support.
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