TRANSFER RUMOURS: History of Baines to Manchester United

Leighton Baines to Manchester United

30/5/12 – Baines: “The United link is flattering. There is no harm in people talking about it because it is a great club. But I’m at a great club as well, a club that I love. The focus now is all on the tournament. There’s not much time to let other things seep in. It’s about getting your head on this job for the next six weeks and trying to do the best you can. Would it be hard to turn United down? I’m not letting my focus shift to that while I am in camp. I’m focused on what I’m doing at the moment. Would it be hard to leave Everton? Yes, obviously. You know what it means. I’ve been there for five years myself but also know first-hand what it means to a lot of people so, yes it would be.”

1/6/12 – Baines on United rumours: “I’ve been aware of what’s been said in the press but I don’t know much beyond that. It doesn’t do any harm [to be linked] but it doesn’t do any good either. It’s just one of those things that tends to swing around this time of year. People put two and two together sometimes they get four and sometimes they get three or five. It gets other people more excited than those involved.”

6/9/12 – Baines on United rumours: “People were asking me and yet I didn’t know anything. It was getting mentioned that often that I was getting puzzled by it and yet I’d heard nothing. As far as I knew, there was not a great deal in it. I’ve never been one to rock the boat. I appreciate the position I’m in in life and I love what I do. At the same time you do have to have that ambition because it doesn’t last long and before you know it it’ll be over. The ambition for Everton is to finish as high as we can and if we can build on what we’ve done so far we have a chance of getting back towards European football.”

4/12/12 – Baines on United rumours: “I’m not that into Twitter but I would say not to be worried. There have been a few windows and a few rumours and there’s nothing to worry about. There are a lot of lads here who have been at the club for a long time now and we want to bring it not just for ourselves and our own ambitions but for the other people at the club, the manager, the chairman, the fans.”

27/6/13 – Everton reject Manchester United’s offer of £12m for Baines.