Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly keen on securing the signature of Everton midfielder Ross Barkley in the summer, but will not bow down to the Toffees’ current valuation.
The Merseyside outfit are said to demand £50m for the England international, who has just a year left on his existing deal. Barkley has followed the suit of fellow teammate Romelu Lukaku to snub a fresh contract at Goodison, and Koeman has previously hinted that the player could be sold during the summer transfer window.
According to Sky Sports News, Mauricio Pochettino’s side could prolong negotiations for the player until the summer transfer deadline, should Everton stay firm on their asking price for their asset. Barkley was largely inconsistent for the Toffees during the previous campaign, and this has restricted Spurs from coughing up a club-record sum on the 23-year-old’s services.
The bookmakers expect Barkley to move on from Everton, with double odds if you use a william hill promo code, taking it to 4/1 that he will be plying his trade elsewhere come September and the end of the transfer window.
League rivals Arsenal have also been credited with an interest in the Three Lions midfielder, but there are in a similar boat as their north London rivals in terms of the transfer sum. Barkley made his first-team debut for Everton back in 2011, but it was his standout season in 2013/14 which earned him a place in the England World Cup squad.
Barkley had been selected in previous England squads under Gareth Southgate but he failed to earn a single minute of playing time which the player revealed via Twitter. His form deteriorated due to the contract saga in the final months, and this saw him miss out on the latest internationals against Scotland and France.
A team like Tottenham Hotspur could be the perfect development club towards becoming an England regular – an opportunity which Barkley’s friend Dele Alli has taken with both hands. Tottenham Hotspur will consider a move for Barkley only after they resolve the status of Kyle Walker, who is wanted by Manchester City.
