Should Everton cash in on Leighton Baines?
Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Everton supporters could not have wished for a better debut season for new manager Roberto Martinez. Currently sitting fifth in the Barclays Premier League and neck deep in the title race only seven points off the pace of Arsenal, the Toffees look as solid as ever, even more so. Boasting the a defense that is tied for the best defensive record in the league and playing a possession game that was never seen under former manager David Moyes has Everton supporters truly buzzing like never before.
For all the strong play from the likes of Tim Howard, Kevin Mirallas, Romelu Lukaku and the emergence of young star Ross Barkley, it is without a doubt the influential play of left-back Leighton Baines that is the most important cog in the Everton machine. Baines is without the most complete left-back in the league, capable of turning a match on its head with his staunch defending or his barn storming runs down the left flank to provide the inch perfect delivery time and again – his importance at set pieces cannot be under-stated either, as that part of his game is vital to Everton’s attacking schemes, especially with Lukaku leading the line.
Roberto Martinez has made it clear how important Baines is to his plans for the Goodison Park side, however over the last year there has been increased speculation that Baines may not remain a Toffee for much longer as former manager David Moyes, now at the helm of giants Man United has short listed him as the replacement for the aging Patrice Evra. The question for Martinez moving forward, is if he can still continue the Everton revolution he is currently building without his talismanic left-back.
Undoubtedly this is a tough decision as Martinez will have to weigh the pros and cons of letting his prized possession go to a club that will inevitably bounce back and be amongst the best in the league once more. The bigger question isn’t about if Baines should be let go and how it will strengthen a rival, but more importantly, if he can be properly replaced and how it would effect Everton moving forward as they try to establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the BPL.
Baines would easily command somewhere in the neighborhood of a 20million pound price tag, something United could easily afford. Everton are traditionally cash strapped which is a scenario that Martinez has operated under before during his time at the helm of Wigan Athletic and Swansea City. The added 20million into the transfer budget could be put to very effective use by Martinez, who has a very strong knowledge of other markets, especially Spain, where he could easily bring in multiple players to help give Everton added depth, which is their biggest weakness currently. One thing is however certain – if Baines should depart for the Red Devils, Everton already have a ready made replacement; Bryan Oviedo.
Normally a squad player, Oviedo did show promise in the few appearances he managed to get up until this season. However it was when Baines was absent through injury during the current campaign, that Oviedo proved to the Everton support and staff that he is quite capable of being their first choice left-back – no other performance proved that then his incredible display against United that culminated in his game winning goal in the 86th minute, which would end in Everton’s 1-0 win at Old Trafford and their first in 21 years at that ground.
The Costa Rican international is already like for like with Baines, and five years younger than the Merseyside born dynamo. Oviedo has pace to burn down the flank, can provide strong service from deep or the byline and can tuck into inside channels and have a sniff at goal himself – he is even in the same physical mold as the man who he studies under. There are similarities in this debacle, as when Arsenal let Ashley Cole leave but replaced him immediately with the already in-house Gael Clichy – they never skipped a beat, as Cole and Clichy were identical players.
Everton must consider the fact that at 28, Baines is now in the prime of his career and in a few years time he will begin to decline, while Oviedo, at just the age of 23, has seven to ten years left of first choice years available. The added financial incentives of letting Baines go, as stated above, would afford Martinez the ability to strengthen his side in multiple areas, giving Everton the depth to challenge not just for a Champions League place, but for other domestic cup competitions as well as on the continent should they gain a place in either Champions League or the Europa League.
The conundrum of when to keep a star player and when to let one go is never an easy one for a Football manager. In the case of Baines, he is Everton through and through and surely it would at first be very unpopular to let him go. However the long-term benefit of Martinez cashing in his most valuable chip could set Everton on a course that would see them solidify their place in the BPL elite that manager and faithful support not only wish for, but deserve.