Moyes goes for broke with £11m bid for Gonzalez

David Moyes hopes to bring his low-key transfer activity to a spectacular end this week by following the capture of Leighton Baines with a club-record £11m deal for the Porto midfielder Luis Gonzalez.

Moyes has so far been restricted to just two additions at Goodison Park this summer – Phil Jagielka from Sheffield United for £4m and Steven Pienaar on a season-long loan from Borussia Dortmund – as he scours the market for an outstanding central midfield talent to lead Everton's Uefa Cup campaign.

That search has now identified the Argentina international Gonzalez, who impressed in his country's advance to the recent Copa America final, and despite strong interest from Valencia, Juventus and Lyons in the 26-year-old, Goodison officials are quietly confident they can convince the player to move to Merseyside and Porto to accept their ambitious bid.

While Everton await an official response, the Wigan left-back Baines is scheduled to become Moyes's third summer signing after his employers yesterday accepted a £6m offer for their youth academy graduate.

The England Under-21 international, who rejected a £6m move to Sunderland and has been offered a more lucrative contract by Newcastle, discussed personal terms and underwent a medical on his native Merseyside yesterday and could be announced as an Everton player today.

Baines's imminent departure will leave a sizeable void at Wigan, where he joined the club as a 14-year-old and the manager Chris Hutchings has yet to install a replacement. "It is disappointing," Hutchings said last night. "We wanted Leighton to stay, but sometimes people think the grass is greener on the other side and everyone has a price on their heads. We wanted to talk about a new contract but – similarly to Lee McCulloch and Rangers – he was set on a club and we have to move on."

The Wigan manager said: "Leighton has been a fantastic player for this football club and it is testament to the scouts we have here that a club are prepared to pay that money for him. Only time will tell if he can step up a level but, to be fair to him, he has answered every challenge in his career and I think he can step up again with England and be in contention with Nicky Shorey and Wayne Bridge as Ashley Cole's number two."

Wigan travel to Goodison for their opening game of the season on Saturday but Baines is unlikely to feature should he complete his switch as he is recovering from a hamstring strain collected in the European Under-21 Championships. Hutchings had earmarked West Brom's Paul Robinson as a replacement, but the two clubs remain in dispute over a transfer fee following the results of his medical. "It is still ongoing but I would have every confidence in playing Kevin Kilbane at left back on Saturday," the manager added.

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