Spurs want Barkley done before preseason tour

Over the last few months, Tottenham Hotspur have appeared to be the only real contenders for Ross Barkley after the player informed Everton that he would not be signing a new deal. With the Wavertree-born lad entering his last season under contract with the Blues, Ronald Koeman was keen to not let him walk away for nothing at the end of the year and gave him an ultimatum that he would need to sign a new deal or else be sold this summer.

In the Sunday Express, the latest news on the Barkley front is that Mauricio Pocchetino wants his man and wants him bad. So much so that the North London club want the transfer done in time for their preseason trip to the USA. Tottenham are expected to fly out on Friday for their Sunday game against Paris St. Germain in Orlando.

With Barkley seemingly not in Everton's future plans after big signings Wayne Rooney and Davy Klaassen were already done and Gylfi Sigurdsson just on the horizon, it appears the Blues will not hesitate to sell him. However, the catch remains that notoriously tight-fisted Daniel Levy does not want to pay the £50m price tag that Everton have slapped on the player and want him for £30m instead.

Just yesterday Rooney urged Barkley to reconsider his decision to not sign a new deal -

With the ability that Ross has, of course we all want him to be a part of what we're trying to achieve at Everton.

He can help us get better but the decision about his future is down to him.

I'm sure he will speak to the manager and do what's right for him.

Barkley missed Everton's East Africa trip with a reported groin injury, and with the Blues about to jet off to the Low Countries, it will be interesting to see if he is in this tour party.