Tottenham can afford to wait for Everton’s Ross Barkley.
Everton’s Ross Barkley
Tottenham Hotspur continue to be strongly linked to Everton ace Ross Barkley, with The Mail reporting they are favourites for his signature.
Barkley’s Everton career appears to be drawing to a close after his refusal to sign a new deal.
The Toffees have signed Ajax star Davy Klaassen, a clear replacement for the attacker.
Talksport report Everton wanted £50 million for Barkley, and so it is no surprise Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has backed off a deal so far.
The playmaker is talented but inconsistent, and not worth the fee Everton want for him.
Barkley could be a good signing for Tottenham, but there are no guarantees. They don’t need him, with Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli already playing prominent roles in his preferred positions.
Everton’s Ross Barkley in action
The Everton man would be a luxury addition, one Tottenham can afford to wait on.
When the possibility exists of Barkley signing on a Bosman next summer, there is even greater incentive to hold back.
The transfer wouldn’t quite be free. Tottenham would have to pay a hefty compensation figure as he has come through Everton’s academy – but it would be substantially less than the sort of fee Everton want.
Everton’s Ross Barkley looks dejected
Whether Everton let it get to that point is another matter, and they could try to flog him to another team, but Barkley has been headstrong so far in refusing to sign a new deal and may dig in, so that he is in control of his destiny next summer.
The challenge for him is the risk of a season on the sidelines in a World Cup year, but right now he may deem that there is no realistic prospect of making Gareth Southgate’s starting XI anyway, having failed to make recent squads.
That dilemma is Barkley’s, and Everton will have to react to what he wants to do.
Tottenham can sit back and wait, and chairman Daniel Levy could be making his best move yet if he lands him when his contract expires next summer.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
