Everton have rejected a £25 million bid for midfielder Ross Barkley from Chelsea. The bid was far below Everton’s expected valuation of the midfielder which is in the region of £40 million – £50 million.
Barkley is expected to leave Goodison Park in the coming days after Ronald Koeman confirmed he had likely played his last game for the club.
The 23-year-old, who will be a free agent next summer, is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury and will be out of action for much of the current year.
The academy graduate has played 150 times for Everton in the Premier League, scoring 21 times since making his debut six years ago.
Chelsea are expected to return with another bit, as they are undeterred by his injury nor Everton’s rejection. Antonio Conte is desperate to add depth to his squad and believes Ross Barkley can be moulded into a decent player.
London rivals Tottenham have also expressed interest in signing the England midfielder but Chelsea appear in pole position with Conte demanding a late flurry of arrivals.
Barkley never convinced Ronald Koeman with his contributions and his exit seems sure. He is believed to be a player of vast unfulfilled potential much like many other English youngsters.
Chelsea will be desperate to clinch this signing after Alex Oxlade Chamberlain has turned down a move to West London. The Blues had a £40 million offer accepted by the Gunners but Oxlade Chamberlain believes that Stamford Bridge is not the right place for him.
He has turned down several offers of a renewal at Arsenal and the prime reason is believed to be that he does not like being played as a wing-back. He fears that a move to Chelsea will see him play in a similar role and hence he feels that Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp is the right place to develop for him.
