Why Ross Barkley Is Likely to Join Tottenham Hotspur

Ross Barkley has been billed as one of the best footballers of his generation.

The England international has been compared to Paul Gascoigne, he's played 150 times in the Premier League, and he is still only 23.

Yet this summer, he is on his way out of Everton, the club that brought him through.

The failure to sign a new contract has ultimately led to manager Ronald Koeman dismissing him as part of ongoing plans, as the Toffees have rebuilt their team.

Now Barkley needs to find a new home, and Tottenham Hotspur lead the queue to sign him.

Manchester United and Chelsea are also being touted as potential destinations, so I have had a closer look at what is going on behind the scenes.

The Situation at Everton

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Barkley made 39 appearances for Everton last season, scoring six times and weighing in with nine assists.

Yet as he failed to put pen to paper on the new contract his club were offering, boss Ronald Koeman made the decision he would be sold.

Barkley is a lifelong Evertonian, but his ambition for bigger things is a reason for looking elsewhere when it comes to the next deal.

He is confident in his own ability to play at the highest level, but now he needs a top-flight club to put faith in him—and spend a decent amount of money to do so.

Barkley has just one-year remaining on his contract, but Everton have set his valuation at £50 million.

One of the reasons they value him so highly is that chairman Bill Kenwright is a big fan, and ideally, he would not watch him leave the club.

There remains some fear among certain members of the hierarchy he will go somewhere else and thrive.

The Interested Clubs

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Tottenham are the front-runners to sign Barkley and Everton have been aware of their interest in signing him for some time.

Mauricio Pochettino is a huge admirer of the creative midfield player and believes he would be a great addition.

The ideal situation for Spurs was that they offload Moussa Sissoko and then reinvest cash in Barkley.

In the meantime, they have been delaying a formal move.

This is not to do with the fact Barkley is sidelined with a groin problem, but because they feel they are the only club seriously interested in signing him so do not feel the need to rush.

Now, suddenly, we have talk that Manchester United and Chelsea are interested, too.

This story is not wide of the mark—but at the same time, it should be treated with caution.

Both clubs have been monitoring his situation for a long time. He would add a creative option to both squads and would add to their homegrown quota. For United, there is also the prospect of linking up with Romelu Lukaku again.

However, neither United nor Chelsea see him as a priority.

It suits Everton that Spurs have competition to sign Barkley, but in reality, the north Londoners are still in command of the situation.

A Check on His Wage Demands

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As it emerged that he was said to be demanding to become Tottenham’s highest-paid player, Barkley was made to look greedy and lacking in ambition.

After all, what has he done recently to prove he is worth more than Harry Kane or Hugo Lloris?

The reality is that Barkley is not making such outlandish demands.

He realises the move to Spurs would suit him down to the ground, as he has seen other English talent flourish under Pochettino’s guidance.

Sources have indicated he would not risk scuppering a deal by making huge requests.

It would be fair to say he would be looking in the £100,000-a-week region, though, wherever he goes next.

That is close to the figure that was being mooted to stay at Everton and would be seen as a fair reflection of his talent in a fast-accelerating market.

Judging His Value

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Everton set the bar at £50 million but by doing so have simply delayed the possibility of a transfer.

No club is prepared to pay that amount for a player they know is out of contract in one-year, particularly when Koeman himself has declared that the player would be sold if he did not sign a new deal.

Barkley is on the market, and Everton need to find a buyer. So eventually the price tag will have to be lowered.

Sources have indicated that Spurs are of the belief that he may become available for under £30 million towards the end of the window.

At a time when such significant figures are being paid across the league for players with less top-flight experience and talent, that would seem a bargain.

What Happens Next?

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We now have a waiting game.

Spurs are quietly content that they can mount another title challenge even without new signings—but they do plan to add a couple of faces, and Barkley is in their sights.

Indications from Tottenham sources are that they are confident they will seal a deal for Barkley at a good price.

It will be no surprise if United and Chelsea continue to be linked. Notice that Arsenal are also said to be in the running now, too.

But if we were at deadline day right now and Barkley were to make his move, Tottenham would be the club that secures his signature.

The club suits his style—and Pochettino could turn him back into one of the most dangerous English players around.