Tottenham are reportedly hoping to beat Chelsea to the signature of Everton midfielder Ross Barkley.
Everton’s Ross Barkley celebrates scoring
According to The Mirror, Tottenham Hotspur hope to beat Chelsea to the signature of Ross Barkley by convincing him that he would play more first-team football at White Hart Lane.
Spurs may be set to miss out on the Premier League title, but Mauricio Pochettino’s men are closing in on another top four finish, with Champions League football drawing ever closer.
After some questionable signings last summer – including Moussa Sissoko and Vincent Janssen – Spurs must bring in better players in the upcoming transfer window, and The Mirror report that Tottenham have two main targets.
It’s claimed that Spurs want to snap up Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha, with Everton’s Ross Barkley also a top target for Pochettino, with questions being asked about his future at Goodison Park.
Barkley, 23, has come up through the ranks at Everton, and whilst he has endured some ups and down under Ronald Koeman this season, he has notched five goals and one assist in his last eight games.
The England international is out of contract in just over a year though, and Everton may be forced to sell this summer before he walks away for free – and Spurs are hoping to take advantage of that.
Everton’s Ross Barkley celebrates
It’s claimed that London rivals Chelsea are also keen on Barkley, but Tottenham hope to win the race by convincing Barkley that he would play a more important role at White Hart Lane than at Stamford Bridge.
Both teams have great competition for places in attacking midfield roles, but his chances of playing may well be better at Spurs, whilst the prospect of playing alongside England team-mates Kyle Walker, Eric Dier, Danny Rose, Dele Alli and Harry Kane could also be appealing.
The added creativity could make Spurs even more dangerous, but with Everton still trying to push through a new contract for Barkley, this transfer saga may yet have many more months to run.
Do you think Barkley would be better at Chelsea or Spurs?
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