According to The Telegraph, Everton could make a sensational move to re-sign Ross Barkley, with Rafa Benitez keen on signing the midfielder.
What’s the story?
Well, the 33-cap England international has found life tough at Chelsea, following a £15m move from Everton in 2018.
Barkley has only made one Premier League start under Thomas Tuchel this season, and The Telegraph believe he could be allowed to leave on loan.
After Marcel Brands departed Goodison Park, Benitez will lead Everton’s recruitment for the time being.
In our view, this would be a terrible move by the Toffees.
It has been years since Barkley found any sort of consistency, despite flashes of his undeniable talent.
Farhad Moshiri and Bill Kenwright already angered supporters by hiring Benitez, a man who is not too popular at Goodison Park as a result of his links to Liverpool.
So, if they added Barkley to his squad, it would only add to the current frustration at Everton.
Barkley famously angered supporters by turning down a £35m move to Chelsea in 2017, only to join the Blues for £20m less in January 2018.
At the time, Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson, a life-long Everton fan, notably called for a police investigation into “whether any fraud has taken place”.
Gary Lineker rated Everton target Ross Barkley highly
One man who would perhaps take an interest in this move – should it materialise – is former Everton striker Gary Lineker.
The BBC Match of the Day host once waxed lyrical about Barkley ahead of the 2014 World Cup, and even likened him to Paul Gascoigne.
In the Daily Mail, Lineker wrote: “I see things in Barkley’s game, in terms of strengths and weaknesses. Like Gazza he can go past people. He’s incredibly strong. He’s got a similar stature, got amazing ability and will score amazing goals like Gazza.”
Should this move materialise, it will be interesting to see if Benitez can resurrect Barkley’s career at the place where it all started.
Keep an eye on this saga – in our view, it would be one of the biggest stories of the Premier League season if this deal came to fruition.
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