Manchester United Transfer News: United Fight Everton for Star Pair

Manchester United will have a tough fight on their hands from Everton should they continue to pursue Marouane Fellani and Leighton Baines as possible transfer targets.

The Everton pair have been strongly linked to the Red Devils over the summer transfer window and with their current club experiencing financial difficulties, both might have been available for sale over the summer in order to bring some money back in to the club.

But according to Everton boss David Moyes, the club's financial position won't affect the playing future of either player and that he would fight hard to keep both Fellani and Baines at the club next season, according to the Daily Star.

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We are always going to have interest in the players we have because we have good players but we don't sell easy here and we try to build a team.

Of course you are going to lose players now and again but we have kept the bulk of players and we will continue to try to add to it and keep improving.

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Fellani is rumored to be worth around £20 million and Sir Alex Ferguson is believed to want the midfielder to boost the attack of his midfield. Baines is also seen as a needed prospect with the English international viewed as a replacement for Patrice Evra at left-back.

Baines would reportedly cost around £15 million, but it is believed that Everton would consider a figure short of that given their current financial shortcomings.

The defender hinted the lack of money could be an issue for the Toffees, stating via Mirror Football:

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It can be a problem for Everton [keeping players] given the financial situation at the club. Over the years, the manager has lost players I am sure he would have liked to keep hold of—maybe the club has needed the money or maybe they have received a substantial bid for a player.

The club has always done good business in that sense because the manager has always done a good job bringing players in for a certain amount of money. Losing players hasn't really hindered us because the team never seems to perform worse than it did before.

Maybe it would have been nice, though, to have hung on to some of the players that have left, adding a couple ourselves, and actually improved as a team.

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Manchester United have already been the beneficiaries of Everton needing to balance the books before—picking up then youngster Wayne Rooney from Goodison Park and turning him in to one of the top strikers in world football.

Moyes knows that he has two excellent players in his squad, and is unlikely to sell them to United at a reduced price, just to balance the books once more.

The financial position at Everton isn't brilliant, but it isn't as bad as often portrayed, and I simply can't see the best left back in the country going on sale—regardless of what financial position the club may be in.

The Red Devils best chance does appear to be that of Fellani, but at £20 million, may be a little steep for United, who would be better off spending the money on Luka Modric or Joao Moutinho.

Will the Red Devils land either Everton star in the transfer window?

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