Everton full-back on the wanted list at Stamford Bridge.
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Chelsea are lining up a shock £14million bid to sign England full-back Leighton Baines from Everton in the summer, according to the Sunday People.
The Stamford Bridge club have secured the services of Ashley Cole for another season after the left-back signed a new one-year deal to stay at Chelsea and have youngster Ryan Bertrand as back-up to him.
But the Sunday People report that Chelsea want to bring in Cole’s England team-mate Baines if he becomes available in the summer and are preparing a £14million offer to tempt Everton’s resolve to hold onto the 28-year-old.
The newspaper claim that Baines, who is back-up to Cole in the England side, would initially be used as a left-sided midfielder next season before replacing Cole in defence for the 2014/15 season.
Baines could also be joined at Stamford Bridge by his current Everton boss David Moyes, who is among the candidates to take over from interim boss Rafael Benitez in the summer with the Spaniard unlikely to be awarded the job on a permanent basis. Team-mate Marouane Fellaini is also expected to swap Merseyside for Chelsea in the summer.
Manchester United have also been interested in signing Baines, who they see as an ideal replacement for Patrice Evra with the French international approaching the latter stages of his career at Old Trafford.