Get the day's biggest United stories delivered straight to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Ross Barkley is at the top of David Moyes' New Year wish list.

The United manager is determined to be at the head of the queue for Everton’s in-demand starlet.

Roberto Martinez insists that not even a Gareth Bale-sized bid of £86m would be enough to prise the 20-year-old away from Goodison Park – but the Merseysiders are bracing themselves for a host of big-money offers in January.

United – who made a last-ditch attempt to sign Bale before his summer move to Real Madrid – do not want to miss out on another superstar of British football.

They believe a bid of £50m will be enough to get Everton around the negotiating table – but the Premier League champions also know there will be plenty of bridge-building if there is any chance of a deal being done.

Relations are tense between the clubs after United’s clumsy attempts to sign Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines for a cut-price £28m in the summer.

That came after Moyes had already made the switch from Goodison to Old Trafford to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson.

The bid was described as ‘derisory and insulting’ by Everton at the time, with United eventually having to pay £27.5m for Fellaini in a last gasp deadline day deal.

They do not want to risk antagonising Toffees chairman Bill Kenwright further – but do want to register their interest in English football’s most exciting prospect.

United know it is highly unlikely that Everton would be prepared to sell during the January window, but they do not want to risk one of Europe’s top clubs snapping him up, as Real did when Bale left Tottenham in a world record deal.

The pressure is on Moyes to make a major statement in the transfer market after United’s shambolic summer dealings.

Executive vice chairman Ed Woodward will also under the spotlight with just two days to go before the window opens.

He has already made it clear that he expects the club to be in the market for the world’s best players, even if the bulk of United’s business will be conducted in the summer.

Still Moyes expects to strengthen over the next month, having monitored a number of targets across Europe.

Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke is a player he is seriously interested in, while Wesley Sneijder is also being considered as a short-term prospect.

Newcastle’s Yohan Cabaye is a player he looked at in the summer, and the Frenchman has been outstanding for Alan Pardew’s side this season.

Crucially the 27-year-old would be eligible to play in the Champions League.

Hear M.E.N Sport editor Peter Spencer's thoughts on a move for Barkley below...

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now

Moyes remains an admirer of Ander Herrera, but is reluctant to meet Athletic Bilbao’s £30.5m valuation.

Borussia Dortmund pair Marco Reus and Ilkay Gundogan have also been linked along with Montpellier’s Remy Cabella.

Moyes is trying to manage the expectations of supporters, but admits he wants to strengthen in January.

“I think we would like to do so,” he said. “I would hate to get everyone’s expectations high thinking that we are going to be bringing in lots of players.

“The one thing I will say is that the club financially will support me in whatever we want to do or try to do. Getting the players in this window is the hardest part.

“At a club like United, we want to sign the best, elite players. A lot of them might be at other clubs right now and might not be gettable.

“If we can, we will try to do something. That’s going to take some time. I can’t do that right away.”