Everton hope to ward off the attentions of Manchester United by offering England international fullback, Leighton Baines, a new deal.
The idea is also to reward Baines for his stunning form over the past few seasons, which has made him arguably the best player in his position in the Premier League, and caught United’s attention in the first place.
The Red Devils had been keeping their eye on Baines even before they appointed former Toffees manager David Moyes to replace Alex Ferguson.
And it is believed that they could finally be ready to lure the defender to Old Trafford as Patrice Evra’s replacement.
But new Everton boss Roberto Martinez does not want to lose his best players, and has indicated that the ball will be put in Baines’ court, with the offer of a juicy new contract extension to remain at Goodison Park.
"It is very important and it's a case of rewarding players who have been phenomenal for the football club. I think Leighton is in that category,” Martinez told Everton’s official website.
"The chairman is very keen to express that and obviously I'm desperately looking forward to meeting the players.
"For Leighton, as the top performer he has been in the last few years, it is important that we reward his work and make sure that he can look forward to kicking on to the next chapter of his career with Everton.
"That's important for the club as a whole, not just the dressing room."
