Man Utd Transfers - 5 January Signings To Get Back Into Title Race

5. Leighton Baines (Everton)

Patrice Evra has shown good form of late, his right footed curler against Stoke on Wednesday night guiding Manchester United into the semi-finals of the Capital One Cup, but at 32, the veteran left-back cannot carry on forever. The Frenchman has been a loyal servant to United since joining the club in 2006, but he has lost that yard of pace through age and his positioning isn't what it once was. That David Moyes looked into buying Fabio Coentrao and Leighton Baines over the summer is perhaps indicative that he no longer has faith in the ex-Monaco man. Evra has been tipped with a return to France, which will probably come off next summer, and one man who could replace him is the aforementioned Baines, currently at Everton. United have made repeated attempts to sign the Englishman and may make one final effort to do so in January. There are few better options to replace Evra at present, with Baines considered one of the best fullbacks in England, and the chance of playing at the highest levels of the game in the New Year may appeal as he looks to usurp Ashley Cole from the England side ahead of next summer's World Cup.