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Baines signs new four-year Everton deal

By on January 27, 2014

Manchester United target Leighton Baines has committed his future to Everton as the full-back signed a new four-year contract that will keep him at Goodison Park until 2018.  Baines, who has been the subject of two bids from United over the summer, was regarded as a possible replacement for Patrice Evra at Old Trafford, however, while Everton sold Marouane Fellaini to Manchester United over the summer Baines remained at Everton and has now committed perhaps the remainder of his career to The Toffees.

Everton have been attempting to tie up the new contract for the past few months, and manager Roberto Martinez confirmed that the 29-year-old has finally put pen to paper on a four-year deal to give the club’s morale a boost right ahead of the Merseyside derby. “I can give you good news, Leighton Baines has signed a new contract,” Martinez said.  “It is for the next four years. To be able to secure Leighton’s best years at Everton means a lot, especially in this January window where we are talking about having a strong squad going into the second half of the season.”

The Spanish manager added added: “We are all excited that Leighton will be able to have a long-term future with the club and we are all looking forward to the second half of the season having his experience. It is such a specialized position it is a great boost internally but I know fans will be delighted because Leighton is more than a footballer at the club.

“You look how important he is with the daily standards, the influence he has with the younger players. I am just looking what Leighton can do in the next four years in the dressing room and it is going to be as good as it gets.”

Everton are currently on track to finish in the same sixth place spot in the English Premier League in which they landed in last season, but just one point off of the top four with a fairly easy run-in, Martinez’s side could co on to claim a spot in Europe for the first time since 2009.  To boost their chances of a top five finish Everton have already been busy in the January transfer window, having signed Aiden McGeady, who has looked promising in his first two appearences against West Bromwich Albion and Stevenage, respectively.  Lacina Traore has also come into Goodison Park from AS Monaco,  although John Heitinga is expected to leave Everton in the near future.

Martinez confirmed Heitinga’s future will be decided shortly, saying: “We will find out in the next 48 hours if he is going to stay for the rest of the season or whether we agree a deal for him to try to play minutes and try to get into the World Cup squad.”

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.