Everton want £50m for contract rebel Barkley
brian wrightMay 17 2017, 12:01am,
Paul Joyce, Northern Football Correspondent
Barkley, left, who was among those modelling Everton’s new kit yesterday, has one year left on his contract at Goodison ParkNot known
Everton will seek £50 million for Ross Barkley if the midfielder refuses to commit his future to the club before Ronald Koeman’s end-of-season deadline.
The figure may appear high for a player with one year left on his contract, yet knockdown fees for those entering the final 12 months of a deal are not as prevalent as they were.
Robin van Persie’s move from Arsenal to Manchester United for £24 million at the age of 29 five years ago changed the landscape, and Everton would argue that if a club really wanted Barkley they would be willing to pay whatever it takes.
In addition, Arsenal have a host of players who have one year left on their contracts and would want at least £50 million for Alexis Sánchez. The Chile forward has again proved to be their star player this season, but is now 28. Barkley has been far less influential during a turbulent season, yet is 23 years old and there is a premium to be paid for English talent.
The stance is unlikely to bring a swift conclusion to the saga of Barkley’s future which has been rumbling since the beginning of the year. He has recently become a target for Tottenham Hotspur, among others.
Koeman, the Everton manager, has said that the home-grown player has a “responsibility” to tell the club whether he will extend his contract by the final game of the campaign against Arsenal on Sunday or face being sold.
A resolution remains unlikely and Koeman’s hard-line stance during much of the campaign has left Barkley, who was among those modelling Everton’s new kit yesterday, concerned that he is not truly wanted.
Everton have a history of selling high, with John Stones moving to Manchester City last summer for an initial £47.5 million, while Steve Walsh, Everton’s director of football, has placed a £100 million price tag on Romelu Lukaku, who has not signed a new contract.
Koeman is determined to strengthen his squad and has identified increasing the competition in Barkley’s position as a priority, with Swansea’s Gylfi Sigurdsson on his wanted list.
There is also an interest in Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has one year remaining on his present deal, and Theo Walcott.