Transfer Gossip and Analysis: Fabio to QPR; Baines next?

Big news for fantasy managers, QPR supporters, and fans of petulant wing backs everywhere. Fabio is coming to Loftus Road. If you were wondering how the personality mix could possibly get more volatile for Mark Hughes you can now add a guy who, at least based on body language and style of addressing officials and opponents, looks like an entitled @sshole. Now, maybe Fabio having unpleasant body language doesn't move the proverbial needle within the R's squad which already has guys like Joey Barton, Djibril Cisse, and Adel Taarabt in it but he hardly seems like the type of solid citizen that will help combat the influence of some of the craziest dudes in the league.

That editorial aside, this looks like some potentially good stuff for fantasy managers as Fabio appears to a) have some talent and b) have a platform to play far more regularly than he did last season at United. The brilliant thing about fantasy is you don't actually need to spend any time in the company of the players you select so the fact that you may have a few @ssholes on your roster doesn't really matter. All that matters is that they produce (and a low price would be a nice bonus) and it seems likely that Fabio will do that at QPR.

Here's the real question:

Does this mean that the Leighton Baines deal is close to being done at Manchester United? Hard to imagine that they'd ship off their only significant cover at left back with Patrice Evra seeming to decompose before our very eyes. I can't say I rate Fabio highly in terms of being ready to take over for Evra at this point but unless there was something that went unreported with Evra (e.g., an injury or personal crisis) that will be solved coming into this season then I don't see Evra being an acceptable solution to start 37 league matches (plus Champions League, etc) again and minus Fabio there aren't any other real alternatives.

I don't have any inside information here and maybe United are barking up other trees in addition to Baines but there must be some sort of a plan that could end up being very interesting to fantasy managers everywhere.