So far, it has been a rather unprofitable summer for David Moyes. The planned sale of Wayne Rooney will always be controversial and a point his inaugural campaign will be judged upon, yet it will be difficult to justify casting aside a player who has been a focal point of the first team at Old Trafford for the best part of a decade, if the new Manchester United boss can’t source a worthy alternative of a similar calibre to fill the creative void the England international is set to leave behind.

The Premier League champions were perhaps naively vocal about their interest in Cesc Fabregas, Moyes’ first choice replacement. Two bids on the table have already been turned down by the Red Devils’ La Liga counterparts, and a third attempt now remains unlikely as Barcelona’s new head coach, Gerardo Martino, insists he will reject any offers for the Spanish playmaker.

It’s been tough pre-season for Sir Alex Ferguson’s rightful successor; constantly outshined by PR master Jose Mourinho in the press conferences, just two wins in five outings on the Asian tour, and now his first big-money priority target being announced as unavailable.

The United gaffer needs to act quickly on the inward transfer front before he and the club feel the need to start backtracking on the Rooney deal, despite bridges being burnt at both ends. With few alternatives to Fabregas on the horizon, or like-for-like replacements for the England forward, will David Moyes go full circle this summer, and return his attentions back to Everton duo Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini?

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A £14million bid for the England full-back was already made this summer, only for Moyes’ former employer Bill Kenwright to turn the offer down. Whereas Fellaini comes with an ounce of risk due to his often unprofessional and ill-disciplined attitude, Baines has worked hard and tirelessly for his shot at the big time, rarely putting a foot wrong or involved in unnecessary controversy.

The former Wigan defender has always maintained cult status for his ability to find the net with incredibly aesthetic efforts and  has often been on the fringes of the England squad, but at the age of 28, Baines’ game appears to have finally come together, recording five goals and five assists for the Toffees last season, and named as the Premier League’s most creative player according to OPTA.

United’s style has always accommodated for full-backs that can venture forward, especially against lesser opposition where the game-plan has been to push up to the half-way line. It seems unusual to suggest the defender has the ability to replace Rooney’s ability to provide and score goals in the final third, but there is no doubt that Baines’s left boot is unrivalled in its accuracy, creativity and ability from dead ball situations – another area the Red Devils could easily find themselves surprisingly lacking in quality should the 27 year old depart for pastures new this summer.

In the more pivotal contests, Baines won’t be allowed such roaming freedom to link up with his pairing winger in attack as we’ve seen from his Everton tenure, and perhaps one of his few disadvantages in comparison to the outgoing Patrice Evra is his pace, power, athleticism and natural defensive awareness.

Fellaini too, has come to the end of a stellar campaign. Whereas previous seasons had on the most-part shown the lanky Belgian’s utility defensively, providing a 6 foot 5 blockade in front of the Everton backline,  last term displayed a uniqueness in Fellaini’s ability to contribute at the other end of the pitch, with a return of 13 goals and five assists predominantly deployed as an attacking midfielder. It stakes a strong claim for the 25 year old to be the most versatile midfielder in the top flight, whilst even without the impressive level of end product, Fellaini’s prowess in the air makes him an almost priceless tool at both ends of the pitch in open play and set pieces.

But as previously mentioned, there are concerns over the Belgium international’s mentality. He seems destined to ply his trade at a higher stage, but his knowledge of his abilities often portrays him as arrogant, confrontational and irratic. His display against Stoke last season, that saw the FA hand him a three-match ban after three seperate incidents involving his fists and the faces of opposing defenders, is hardly the type of attitude Sir Alex Ferguson, still working behind the scenes for the Red Devils, would welcome at Old Trafford.

Similarly, Fellaini is of a completely different mould to Fabregas, and it seems from Moyes’ interest in the Spaniard this summer that he’d prefer a central midfielder more capable on the ball to partner Michael Carrick. The Red Devils have been at their best with Carrick and the retired Paul Scholes both pulling the strings and dictating play in central midfield, and the Scot would rather replicate their unique understanding than bring in a hard-hitting, tough-tackler to stage dogfights in the middle of the park.

That being said, deep-lying playmakers will be difficult to source at this point in the transfer window, with Thiago Alcantara and Kevin Strootman already joining up with Bayern Munich and Roma respectively, Luka Modric keen on a stay with Real Madrid and Cesc Fabregas almost certain to remain a Barcelona player. With most of the transfer window’s action already taking place, Fellaini could well be Moyes’ only possibility in central midfield.

Neither Baines nor Fellaini can claim to parallel Rooney’s reputation or that mystical star quality the England international tends to provide. Their relative anonymity will hardly alert the European elite, or significantly shake up the current landscape at the Premier League’s summit.

But in typical Manchester United and David Moyes style, the Toffees pair are two of the most reliable performers with a proven track record in the English top flight, without commanding the hefty fees of their established European counterparts. Baines could be available for around £18million, whilst Fellaini’s price-tag is set at £23million due to a clause in his contract, which expires early next month.

They’re very much the safe bet – well accustomed to the English game and the English style, well-acquainted with David Moyes, and their strengths and weaknesses at this point in their careers already well-known. Both could easily slip in to United’s current 4-4-1-1 formation without requiring the Scot to return to the tactical drawing board, and Everton’s style of play under their former gaffer is almost identical to the Red Devils’ traditional footballing ethos.

A collective £50million for both is a fair price for the genesis of a top six Premier League club, and their capture would maintain the United philosophy of favouring the sum of all parts whenever possible, rather than individual stars.

It seems the perfect acquisition on Moyes’ part, but I believe he will venture down every alternative avenue first. The fact is, the Everton duo are making a significant and long-awaited step up in their careers, and with few other potential suitors out there on the hunt for a new left-back and defensive midfielder, at least in the Premier League, Baines and Fellaini will both wait patiently for their former employer’s call, which is perhaps why movement on both has been limited so far this summer.

The Baines deal can wait until deadline day, and Bill Kenwright has already informed David Moyes on his price. Fellaini on the other hand, is now just over a week away from his £23million clause expiring. With that in mind, we could see some action in the next few days, or else, we will know the Scot has made the decision to abstain, over the opportunity to sign the big Belgian at least.

Should David Moyes turn his attentions to Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini?

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