Everton: Chelsea planning to make late bid for Ross Barkely

Chelsea will reportedly hold talks with Everton this weekend, as they look to “steal” Ross Barkely from Tottenham Hotspur.

Early on in the summer transfer window, it almost seemed like a day couldn’t pass without some mention of Ross Barkley being set to leave Everton. (And yes, we admit we were just as guilty as anyone, in respect of how much exposure we gave to the storyline.)

However, speculation regarding Barkley has quietened somewhat in the last few weeks. A big part of the reason for this relates to the torn hamstring he suffered recently in training.

As a result of the injury, the 23-year-old is expected to be sidelined for around three months. In the process, Tottenham Hotspur’s interest in him has apparently subsided.

Interestingly though, there is still an excellent chance Barkley will get to leave Merseyside, between now and Aug. 31. At least that’s the case, according to Matt Law of The Telegraph.

Law reports that Chelsea are planning to hold talks this weekend with Everton, in respect of the wantaway midfielder. The timing is significant, with the Blues playing at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

We won’t go as far as to say Chelsea are now favourites to sign Barkley. However, with Law claiming Spurs are willing to pay £20 million, with another £8 million in add-ons, we know the Pensioners are in a position to offer more.

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The Toffees are in a delicate situation now, especially so close to the end of the transfer window. They understandably want to get decent value for the England international, but must be careful not to push their luck.

This is because Barkley has now entered the final year of his current contract. If Everton don’t play their cards right, they could conceivably lose him for nothing next summer.

In that respect, the torn hamstring didn’t help the team or the player, who is hoping to be selected for next year’s World Cup in Russia. (If he doesn’t play regular first team football when he returns from his injury — whoever he is with — this ambition will quickly fade.)

It will be interestingly to see if Chelsea’s late bid to “steal” Barkley, motivates Spurs to up their efforts to sign him. Regardless, Everton will be hoping someone signs him between now and Thursday, to bring this unsavoury saga to an end.

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Do you see Chelsea, Spurs, or indeed anyone, signing Barkley before the summer transfer window closes? At this stage, how much would you be prepared to accept for the midfielder? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.