Leighton Baines has echoed Everton boss Roberto Martinez’s gripe about the unsettling effect of the transfer window on players and has called for the deadline to be before the season starts.

The England international full-back has been the subject of interest from the likes of Manchester United in previous years, while he was an observer this time around as young team-mate John Stones was the subject of several failed bids from Chelsea.

Martinez and the Toffees’ board insisted that the 21-year-old was not for sale and that resulted in the central defender handing in a transfer request in a bid to force through a move to Stamford Bridge.

Everton managed to keep Stones after the deadline last Tuesday and the player has subsequently been successfully reintegrated back into the squad at Goodison Park.

Martinez has previously requested that all transfer dealings should be completed before the new season gets under way and Baines has backed the Spanish tactician.

He told the Liverpool Echo: “The manager’s touched on it a few times that the window shouldn’t be open and I think pretty much everyone in football would agree with that.

“It’s just a source of entertainment for people on the outside now and it doesn’t help anybody in the game. We’ve seen it first-hand with John and we’re just glad the club took the stance they did and we’ve been able to keep him.”

Ironically Everton will face Chelsea in their return to Premier League action on Saturday lunch-time. Chelsea can be backed at 1.95 to win, the Toffees are 4.00 and the draw is 3.50.