Everton have been one of the busiest teams this transfer window. With recent reports emerging of an impending £75m deal for Lukaku making the switch to Manchester United, the club could be looking to offload Ross Barkley as well, with one year left on his contract. Tottenham are interested in the player with Mauricio Pochettino being a long-term admirer of the 23-year-old, but Everton’s £50m valuation of the player is proving to be a deterrence.
Everton, having spent close to £100m already, are looking to balance their books. The reported £75m deal for Lukaku with The Red Devils could entail Wayne Rooney coming the Merseyside way. Rooney commands a hefty £300,000/week salary currently, and even with a substantial wage cut, he is going to cost the Toffees quite a lot in the long run.
Koeman could be looking to cash in on the Englishman with contract talks stalling between the player and the club in a deal that would help Everton post positive net spend figures. Barkley himself could be looking for a new challenge with at least a couple of high-profile clubs, in Chelsea and Tottenham interested in the player’s services. The crafty midfielder has received a huge vote of confidence courtesy Cardiff City boss Neil Warnock, who is of the opinion that the player could flourish under a manager like Pochettino.
The Englishman boasting 35 years of managerial experience under his belt has reiterated his faith in the player’s talents having managed him at Leeds United. “I had Ross at Leeds, and he’s an unbelievably good pro. He comes in first thing and he takes free kicks until it goes dark, he trains all the time,” said Warnock. “But as a manager, you can’t really find a system you can trust him in. It’s a really difficult with him because he still loves to turn and take players on in his own half and often loses it. He hasn’t got the responsibility in his make-up regarding as and when to do it, he just does it when he feels like it. I don’t think you can change him in that.”
Warnock believes Barkley is shackled in Koeman’s system which doesn’t allow much room for a player of Barkley’s proclivities to freely express himself. Which is why the player could be a natural in Pochettino’s free-flowing set-up with much more room for improvisation. Warnock is of the opinion that the player could go on to be “a top five player”, but only if he’s managed in a way suited to bring out the best in him.
Barkley was part of the England squad in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 23-man Euro squad in 2016. He has elicited high praise from his teammates and managers alike in being compared to the England great, Paul Gascoigne. Former Everton manager, Roberto Martinez has described Barkley’s playing style as a cross between Michael Ballack and Gascoigne. If the player does end up moving this window, he definitely wouldn’t come cheap. It remains to be seen if Daniel Levy is interested enough to splash the dough for a player who could give Spurs a different dimension.
