Source: PA
Baines wants key pair to stay
Everton defender Leighton Baines has urged star midfielders Steven Pienaar and Mikel Arteta to commit their futures to the club.
Pienaar and Arteta have both been subject of considerable speculation this summer linking them with moves elsewhere.
Arteta has been in negotiations over a new deal for some time but is yet to sign while Pienaar is now entering the final year of his contract.
Manager David Moyes has made the re-signing of key squad members his top priority since the end of last season and a number, including Baines, have committed.
Baines, who signed a new five-year deal, now wants the key pair to follow his example and that of Tim Cahill, Jack Rodwell and Seamus Coleman, and said: "They will definitely know we all want them to stay. They are among our better players and a key part of what we are looking to do.
"We want to keep our better players to give us the best chance of success. Hopefully they will stick with us. I don't know what their thoughts are - they are personal matters - but we are all hoping, like the fans, they stay with us."
