Hard business hat on my head: the lad is 29 years old next month and will play in the World Cup next year. With no sign of new deal on the horizon, he'll be entering the final year of his contract after the World Cup. He'll have been with us 7 years. His form has generally, a few bright spots aside, been below par this season. Everything about it screams SELL! It's not like United are swooping to sign a 23 year old hot prospect from us. Baines has clearly, based on his age alone, seen better days.
Heart ruling the head: Not selling to United/Refusing to sell to United would send the message that we will not be pushed around. I'm quite sure if we made it known that Baines might be available for transfer, that there would be other suitors. I simply would not sell him to United, not after everything. I'm quite sure someone like City, or maybe Spurs, would want him, and I wouldn't be that bothered if he went to either of them. In an ideal world he'd finish his career with us, but we all know footy isn't like that. But sooner or later we'd have to replace him anyway, so we might as well bite the bullet now and call Baines bluff, especially as he doesn't seem inclined to sign any new deal with us.