"Everton give up on re-signing Ross Barkley, but £50m valuation could deny Tottenham and Manchester United target a transfer
Though the Toffees will now reluctantly listen to summer offers the midfielder may have to wait for a Bosman in 2018
Everton accept they have reached the end of the line in contract talks with Ross Barkley. And that means they will reluctantly consider offers for the England international. Midfielder Barkley has made it clear he will not budge in refusing the £100,000-a-week offer that would make him the highest-earning player in club history. Chairman Bill Kenwright has been working for more than a year in the hope of persuading the home-grown star to commit his long-term future to the Toffees.
Everton were prepared to offer Barkley a better deal than the one Romelu Lukaku originally accepted earlier this year, before a u-turn saw the Belgian striker announce he wanted to leave the club just minutes before putting pen to paper.
But the 23-year-old Scouser has dragged his feet over the new five-year contract, and his advisors indicated on Wednesday that there would be no 11th hour acceptance. While the Goodison board still want to make Barkley - with his close connection to the fans after coming through the club’s youth system - the foundation of a squad set to be significantly enhanced in the summer transfer window, manager Ronald Koeman is unwilling to indulge any player who isn't 100 per cent committed.
And with negotiations collapsing, that means the Dutchman will listen to offers for his playmaker, with both Tottenham AND Manchester United expressing interest. Barkley may feel he can attract a bigger offer from those two clubs, but the stumbling block could be a fee. Everton have indicated the asking price is £50million - which could see an impasse build over the summer, with the player considering seeing out the final year of his current contract before moving on a Bosman after next season."