Tottenham Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Ross Barkley and Jesse Lingard

Tottenham Hotspur will reportedly look to strengthen their attacking midfield options this summer as speculation emerged linking the north Londoners with Everton's Ross Barkley and Manchester United's Jesse Lingard.

According to the Mirror's Neil Moxley, Barkley is the top priority for Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino, although it's said the England international would be likely to cost a fee in excess of £30 million.

Convincing the Toffees to part ways with their playmaker will undoubtedly be a chore for Tottenham, too, considering the homegrown star is highly rated at Goodison Park despite a bumpy 2016-17 campaign.

That being said, Everton manager Ronald Koeman recently confirmed his side will attempt to agree a new contract with Barkley, adding the club "will do everything" to ensure he remains at Goodison, per Sky Sports' Alys Bowen:

"

Yeah there are talks planned. I don't think talks have started yet. Those players who finished the contract after one year, he's one of them and we will do everything to keep Ross and sign a new contract.

To get the productivity and strengths for the players in front, he is improving. He is more important for the team in the last part of attacking than he was before and that is what I want.

"

Barkley, 23, has previously been tipped as a future England talisman, although there have been doubts as to whether he'll fulfil expectations as he approaches the end of his fourth senior season as a Premier League regular.

Koeman has reassured fans he is content with Barkley of late, however, and Ben McAleer of WhoScored.com provided quotes from the Everton boss following the Toffees' recent 3-2 defeat at White Hart Lane:

Red Devils prospect Lingard is another attracting attention in north London following a promising campaign thus far, and the Mirror's Steve Bates wrote Spurs are keeping tabs on his contract extension talks at United.

Lingard has operated largely off the wing for United this season, although he has thrived in a more central No. 10 role in the past, an area of the pitch in which Tottenham are already well stocked.

Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli are the two prime puppeteers ruling the roost at White Hart Lane as things stand, although Lingard could complement that duo and brings another boost in filling the homegrown player quota.

However, football writer Liam Canning recent critiqued Lingard's lack of consistency after the 24-year-old popped up with an essential goal in United's 3-2 EFL Cup final win over Southampton in February:

"

This is the weird problem with Lingard: can easily pop up with an important goal, but so ineffective for the rest of the game.

— Liam Canning (@LiamPaulCanning) February 26, 2017"

According to Bates, Lingard is "one of the lowest-paid members" in United's first team, and manager Jose Mourinho already has other young attacking options in the likes of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford.

Just as Barkley wouldn't be a cheap option, Lingard would likely cost Tottenham a pretty penny if they were to move for his services this summer, with the player already in the last 18 months of his current contract.