Everton have dismissed Manchester United’s bid of £36million for Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini, according to The Guardian newspaper. The revised bid is an improved offer from the £28million that United made 10 days ago. However, the offer is still less than what Everton chairman Bill Kenwright values the players at.

Talks are expected to continue between now and Monday night, when the transfer window closes. Whether United and Everton will come to an agreement, we’ll have to wait and see. But while Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Chelsea are spending considerable amounts of money to sign quality players, Manchester United are taking the slow and laborious route of trying to pinch every penny.

Everton manager Roberto Martinez, meanwhile, is trying not to pay attention to transfer rumors, and is concentrating on his squad. He said:

“I said last night after the game, I am not going to talk about stories and speculation. We are at the end of the transfer window and we will have to cope with those stories. We can’t lose focus and we must concentrate on the games.

“I am not going to comment on anything on the transfer window, coming in or going out. If there is anything to say, the fans will be the first ones to know. We will let them know.

“It is getting a little bit too much at the moment. It’s not just here, in every dressing room you get these sorts of stories and I think we need to do something to protect the league and the players. We need to be respectful to the fans and stop all this transfer window business when the games are going on.

“But we are not going to stop looking for more new faces. I think it is right that we look around and try to find the right personalities that can fit in in the dressing room. We are trying to bring players in and we will keep on trying to do that until the end of the window.”