Tottenham target Ross Barkley will be allowed to leave by Everton in order to fund the purchase of two United players, according to reports
As per the Daily Express, Everton will allow Ross Barkley to leave for a fee of around £30million as Everton look to purchase Morgan Schneiderlin and Memphis Depay.
Everton manager Ronald Koeman has previously confirmed his interest in bringing United outcast Memphis Depay to Merseyside in January, while Morgan Schneiderlin has also emerged as a target in recent weeks. Depay has managed just 7 appearances for United this season, all of which have come as a substitute, while Schneiderlin has also been very sparingly used. The Frenchman has made just 8 appearances, 5 of which have come as a substitute.
Both have been deemed surplus to requirements at United, and it is very likely that Mourinho will not stand in the way should Everton make an offer that is accepted by United.
Ross Barkley emerged as a target for Tottenham last week, with the North London outfit looking to add to their core of English players.
Barkley has been repeatedly criticised by manager Ronald Koeman this season. His performance at Sunderland in September angered the Everton manager so much that he substituted the England international at half time and said after the game that Barkley “needed to improve” and that “a player of his quality cannot lose so many balls.”
Despite all the criticism, Barkley is still Everton’s most creative player this season. Barkley has created a team-high 35 chances, 12 more than nearest teammate Romelu Lukaku. Barkley is currently creating one chance every 31.7 minutes.
He was also impressive in Everton’s 2-1 win against Arsenal, with a more composed and disciplined outing than his previous performances this season.
Koeman admitted earlier this week that Barkley’s contract was not a priority even though the midfielder only has 18 months left on his current contract. This should provide some encouragement to Mauricio Pochettino who is looking to add numbers to his Tottenham side and provide further support for striker Harry Kane.
Pochettino has been adding younger players to his squad in a bid to build a durable core, and Barkley perfectly fits the profile. Despite his inconsistency, Barkley checks a lot of boxes for Tottenham. He is young, English and would not come at too expensive a price.
This is a transfer that might just take place should Tottenham act on their interest, and it could spark a transfer merry-go-round with Morgan Schneiderlin and Memphis Depay heading to Merseyside.