Manchester United in fresh Leighton Baines move as David Moyes prepares £16million bid

The United boss is set to test his former club's resolve again in January, as he readies another bid for the England left-back

David Moyes is ready to battle Everton again for Leighton Baines with a fresh £16million bid.

The Manchester United boss failed to get his man in the summer when he launched a double raid for Baines and Marouane Fellaini.

But he is now preparing to go back with another assault on his former club when the transfer window opens to try to get the England left-back to move to Old Trafford.

Moyes expects the Toffees to fight hard once more to keep Baines. Despite the fact he has not signed a new deal promised to him when Everton rebuffed United’s offer last summer, Everton are unwilling to let him go.

The United boss could have to dig deeper to try to tempt Everton as he also feels Baines is not the type of player to demand a move.

And that could leave Moyes searching elsewhere for the left-back he needs.

Southampton’s Luke Shaw is also on United’s radar, but there is a belief at Old Trafford that he, too, could be out of reach in this month’s transfer window.

United’s current first-choice left-back, Patrice Evra, has started all but one of their 19 Premier League games this season, with Alexander Buttner and Fabio not considered understudies of sufficient quality.

Evra, 32, who is out of contract at the end of this season, has already spoken with Moyes of the need for United to recruit a new left-back in the January window, but the options look limited if Baines and Shaw are unattainable.

Alternative left-back options for Moyes include Brazilian duo Alex Sandro, from Porto, and Atletico Madrid’s Filipe Luis. Moyes travelled to Spain watch Atletico in person earlier this month to check on midfield transfer target Koke, with United poised to make a £30m bid for the Spaniard.