Transfer news: Manchester United 'preparing' a £35m return offer for Everton pair Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini

United's original offer of £28m was slammed as 'derisory and insulting' by David Moyes' former club

Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines in pre-season action for Everton (GETTY IMAGES)

Manchester United could return for Everton duo Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini with a £35m offer after having their initial bid rejected as “derisory and insulting”.

United offered £28m for the pair, valuing Baines at £12m and Fellaini a rather modest £16m after the Belgian international had a clause in his contract expire at the end of last month which would have allowed him to leave for £23.5m.

Former Toffees boss David Moyes is keen see the pair follow in his footsteps and head to Old Trafford, with the Premier league champions desperate to sign a dominating central midfielder after failing in their efforts to sign either Cesc Fabregas or Thiago Alcantara.

Everton are determined not to sell either Baines or Fellaini with less than two weeks to go until the transfer window shuts. Selling either of them would leave Roberto Martinez with little time to identify and pursue a replacement, especially with his focus now on playing matters after the season got underway over the weekend.

Should United match the £40m valuation that Everton officials have privately put on the pair, the situation could change, but it appears the Red Devils will test the Merseyside club’s resolve first with a £35m offer – breaking down as £12m for Baines and £23m for Fellaini, falling half-a-million short of his original release fee.

Despite getting off to a good start to his United career with a 4-1 victory at Swansea, Moyes is still desperate to bring in new signings, having failed to make a significant addition after the lone acquisition of Guillermo Varela early on in the summer.