United boss Sir Alex Ferguson reckons Baines will head to Old Trafford for as little as £8m plus a player thrown in. Everton manager David Moyes would ideally like to take Patrice Evra to Goodison as part of the deal. Without Evra, the fee would rise to £11m.

Baines, who would earn around £60,000 a week, is desperate for Champions League football. And as Everton weren’t in Europe this season, he could slot straight into the side in February for the knock-out stages.

Fergie knows that time is running out for 31-year-old Evra, who has played nearly 50 games a season over the past five years.