Everton have offered Gareth Barry a new contract amid West Brom interest, but the Toffees should let the midfielder go.
Gareth Barry has been a target for West Bromwich Albion for some time, with the Daily Mail reporting on July 8 that Tony Pulis is a long-term admirer of the Everton midfielder and would like to sign him this summer.
Pulis views the 36-year-old as the ideal replacement to fill the void left by Darren Fletcher at the Hawthorns following his switch to Stoke City.
Darren Fletcher looks on during the Premier League match between Manchester City and West Bromwich Albion.
However, manager Ronald Koeman is open to keeping the veteran at Goodison Park to bolster his options and the Mail also claimed that the Merseysiders were even prepared to offer a one-year extension to the former Manchester City man’s contract – which currently is due to expire in 2018.
West Brom, meanwhile, will give Barry a two-year deal if he makes the move to the Hawthorns and in truth, Everton should be accepting this with open arms.
The midfield ace is one of the Premier League’s stalwarts and has been a great servant to the Toffees, but Koeman now has superior options in his position in Idrissa Gueye and Morgan Schneiderlin.
The Merseyside outfit have already spent a lot this summer on new signings to take them to the next level ahead of a campaign in the Europa League and ambitions of breaking into the top six. Unfortunately, Barry is no longer the player capable of helping them achieve that and a move to the Baggies would be the best thing for all involved.
Gareth Barry of Everton (R) is put under pressure from Ander Herrera of Manchester United (L).
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