Sam Allardyce has claimed Ross Barkley is “putting his career in severe danger” and that a possible summer move to Tottenham broke down due to his financial demands.
The 23-year-old turned down a new contract at Everton in the summer and then failed to agree a transfer despite strong interest from Spurs and Chelsea.
Allardyce, who has been strongly linked with the manager’s job at Goodison, has urged the playmaker to knuckle down and forget the biggest possible pay day or risk his whole career.
Speaking on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast on talkSPORT on Friday, the former England manager said: “I think they [Everton] made him, they said at the time, the best offer they could possibly make him, which he refused on the basis probably that his agent said, ‘I can get you more than that somewhere else’. And that didn’t materialise in the end.
“A move to Tottenham, I believe, broke down on the basis of the money, that they wouldn’t pay the demand from Barkley’s agent at the time and he’s left in limbo.
“He’s putting his career in severe danger here. If Chelsea don’t come in, or they don’t offer the sort of money they’re looking for, what does he do then? Football is a very short career and this promising young player, his career is stalled at the moment.”
Barkley, 23, has been sidelined for the entirety of the season due to a serious hamstring and is set to be out until next month.
Good move for Tottenham?
Assuming the well-connected Allardyce is right, Spurs were right not to pay over the odds for Barkley in the summer, at which point he had less than a year remaining on his contract. He has enormous potential and, under ace development manager Mauricio Pochettino, he could go on to great things. But Tottenham have a tight financial structure and were right not to blow it to smithereens to accommodate such an inconsistent performer. That said, if a deal can be done at the right price – £20million maximum – in January, Barkley can be a smart signing. The word is that the Spurs manager is keen to transform Barkley from an attacking player into a deep-lying playmaker who builds attacks rather than finishes them. First, the England international must show a greater adaptability and willingness to learn that he has in the past.
This Is Futbol rating: 8/10
Likely to happen?
Reports of Chelsea refusing to be put off by their failed summer pursuit, when a £35million fee was agreed with Everton before the player had a last-minute change of heart, is intriguing. It is also a concern for Spurs. They have the Pochettino factor, a manager with an excellent track record of developing players, but Chelsea have deeper pockets. Tottenham are the better football fit, but mega money appears important to Barkley, and Chelsea are better placed to fatten his wallet.
