Chelsea in the mix for Baines
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 6:20 PM | by Jack Johnson 
Chelsea have joined the race to sign Leighton Baines according to the Independent. Manchester United and PSG were both thought to be weighing up a move for the 28-year-old after an impressive start to the season at Everton.
Baines has excelled for the Mersyside club, adding an extra dimension to his sides attack and continuing his solid defensive work.
Apparently Baines was offered to Ferguson for just £15m in the summer but he opted to sign Alex ‘Eredivise’s third or fourth best left-back’ Buttner instead. The Dutchman has failed to provide an improvement on Patrice Evra who has struggled to keep up his own high standards over recent seasons. Sir Alex will perhaps have wished he has swooped for Baines when the opportunity arose as now he will face stiff competition.
Chelsea see Baines as a replacement for Ashley Cole who the London club seem determined to move on, along with the remainder of their old guard. Plenty of England fans would be pleased to see Baines overtake Cole in the England pecking order too; he has performed well whenever called up by Roy Hodgson and provided 65 key passes for his club this season as well as chipping in with two goals and two assists.
The Independent do provide one caveat for any Baines deal however, they suggest that Moyes would not sanction a move in January and that interested parties would have to wait until summer, this could suit Chelsea, Cole is still one of the best full backs in the league and at 31 there is no immediate rush to replace him.
Jack Johnson
