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Liverpool Echo

EVERTON are lining up a sensational £18million double swoop for Yakubu and Manuel Fernandes after missing out on bringing Luis Gonzalez to Goodison.

David Moyes has moved quickly to alter his targets after admitting defeat in his attempts to sign Argentina international midfielder Gonzalez, who has instead negotiated a new deal with his club Porto.

The Portuguese club rejected Everton’s £10m offer for the 26-year-old after spending £4m to acquire the remaining 50% of the player’s ownership rights.

Fernandes, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Everton, was thought to be close to joining Sven-Goran Eriksson’s new-look Manchester City.

But the Portuguese midfielder made no secret of his desire to make permanent a move to Everton during his spell at the club and the Goodison outfit are now clear favourites to capture his signature after lodging a bid in the region of £8m for the 21-year-old Benfica player.


Everton’s need for a new striker became more pressing when James Vaughan was sidelined until at least November with a dislocated shoulder and James Beattie was sold to Sheffield United for £4m.


And Moyes has made what is believed to be a club record £10m offer for Middlesbrough forward Yakubu.


The Nigerian cost the Teessiders £7.5m when arriving from Portsmouth in 2005, with this former club among a number of clubs linked with a move for the 24-year-old.


But Everton are prepared to smash the club record £8.6million they splashed out on Andrew Johnson to sign Yakubu, and can offer the prospect of European football.


Meanwhile, Phil Neville believes Everton have signed a “little tiger” after Leighton Baines completed his move to Goodison yesterday.


Baines put pen to paper on a five-year contract with the Goodison outfit having previously agreed a £5million deal with Wigan Athletic which could rise to £6m depending on a number of additional clauses.


The 22-year-old left-back, who was born in Kirkby, turned down offers from Newcastle United and Sunderland to become Everton’s new number three.


Baines was ironically released by Everton’s Academy as a youngster before ending up at Wigan, where he made 162 appearances and scored four goals in six years at the JJB Stadium.


And Goodison skipper Neville is delighted with the new arrival and is confident local boy Baines has the attributes to prove a major hit with supporters.


“He’s one of us,” said Neville. “You need those type of character in the club, good local English players. They know the game.


“When he first came up to the Premier League, I didn’t know much about him but then I played against him in the opening few weeks, and found he’s a little tiger.


“He’s in your face, round your legs and he never knows when he’s been beaten. He impressed me straight away. You see someone of his stature and you think you can get at him, but we couldn’t that day.


“He is a great defender, good going forward and


really strong and tough and takes no prisoners from anyone. That’s why he will fit in superbly here and that’s why the fans will love him.


“He’s a Scouser and he knows all about the club, and that helps. From day one, when everyone was bidding for him, you could tell the only club he wanted to join was Everton.”


Baines’s burgeoning reputation at Wigan led to international recognition, with the full-back having so far earned 16 caps for the England under-21 side.


“It’ll help his England prospects coming to Everton,” said the captain. “We’re a more fashionable club than Wigan and it’ll help his own game playing in front of 40,000 every week. The expectation and pressure is greater here.”