Ross Barkley. Will he, or won't he?

[Cereal Killer]

Hindsight will show it was a wise move not signing a new contract. Not that him or his agent were that bright to see it at the time but in the end it'll prove a decent bit of business for his career. wallet & agent

 

[dekko]

He had a really bad hamstring injury, who knows if he'll ever recover 100%. My guess is that as soon as he'll be playing well again, he'll be back on the sidelines.
Even so, I really wished he stayed with us.

[Macca77]

Pinched this from TEF, it's pretty much spot on

If he wants to leave to further his career, that's fine. None of us like it, but we should be used to it by now; Rooney, Lescott, Arteta, Pienaar, Fellaini, Stones, Deulofeu, Lukaku - it's nothing new for us to sell our best players.

I know we aren't a top team and haven't been for years, so as much as we hate it and might feel we're a big club, we just have to accept that. We all thought we could spend our way to competing with the best teams, but as we've seen this season, that's proving to be much harder than we might've thought - and that's down to the idiots identifying the targets.

With Barkley, the thing that's really got me is the summer and how he's shafted us of £10-20m.

He had a move to the Premier League champions. A team that wins a trophy every other year. A team in the Champions League. With World Class Players. World Class Manager... They wanted him in August. He was in the building.

But instead of signing, for whatever reason, he's decided to stay with us, to let us get him back fit, have him mixing with our squad like a bad apple - when really he should be somebody else's problem.

And crucially, in making that little decision, he's done a number on the club. The club he's meant to support, no less.

Listen - I do think he was subjected to unnecessary jeers from the Goodison crowd, I don't agree with the Koeman method of public criticism and I do think the club took his 'Evertonian-ism' for granted by not offering him improved terms far quicker (when they've been handing out 6 figure contracts to much worse players for a while now).

However (and I think this outweighs that)... This is the club who gave him the platform to be the player he's become, stuck with him when he had a potentially career ending injury, nursed him back to fitness time after time (even now) and allegedly the club he supports.

So like I say, if he wants to play at a higher level - fine. But not running a contract down like this, it's rat behaviour.

And if he goes to Spurs - a side who win as many trophies as we do currently (ie none). It's just shocking to be honest.

[TSGun]

Oh how I've fantasized about an Everton team containing both Barkley and Rooney over the years. *sigh*

Is it actually official he's off?

[Lxxx]

I love it when you make 2+2 = 5. If you had the time of your life why does he  need 100K a week to enjoy the same ? The two things are not related as you so rightly demonstrated .

What??

[Waltzer]

Pinched this from TEF, it's pretty much spot on

Cant argue with most of that. The money is pretty much irrelevant in my opinion, whats the difference between 35 and 20 million in todays football world? We've wasted much more than that and its his prerogative to do what he wants. It again strikes me as bad management from the top, 2 years ago he was offered a new contract, he refused and as a result should have been put on the transfer list, we have let this happen just as much as him

[Lxxx]

I would argue it’s Spurs who have done a number on us.

Barkley had no obligation to sign for Chelsea if, as was rumoured, Conte wasn’t keen and didn’t even bother to meet with him.

Spurs probably said sit tight until January when you are fit, as is there right to do.

It’s just a mess of a situation with the blame at pretty much everyone’s door over the past few years, all contributing to where we are now.

[Macca77]

Who does he replace in the Spurs side though? He will get game time but very much doubt he will be a regular starter

[Lxxx]

Who does he replace in the Spurs side though? He will get game time but very much doubt he will be a regular starter

He’ll be part of a top squad playing in big games against top European teams. If he has anything about himself he has to back his own ability and take his chances when he gets them in that kind of scenario.

[Mick 1995]

Who does he replace in the Spurs side though? He will get game time but very much doubt he will be a regular starter

Wouldn't think he'd start every game for us either though really.
Certainly wasn't last season

[therealdunc]

Wouldn't think he'd start every game for us either though really.
Certainly wasn't last season

This

Are people forgetting how bad he was at times last season and his complete lack of a football brain?

Unless he’s been to see the wizard of oz to get a new brain, I don’t have any problem with him leaving

[blue1948]

What??

You said you had the time of your life but implied you didn't have the 100k a week .What is hard to understand ?

[blue1948]

He’ll be part of a top squad playing in big games against top European teams. If he has anything about himself he has to back his own ability and take his chances when he gets them in that kind of scenario.

You do know who this link is about ! He hasn't ever " backed his own ability" or took a chance!

[JPMck01]

Just been listening to Talksport Hawksbee and Jacobs, had a guy on who reports on both us and the RS.

Guy said, Big Sam was told when he joined to forget about Ross he’s already gone, be it to Chelsea or Spurs. He’ll either go this window or in the summer but he’s definitely gone.

[Duncs_a_legend]

He's going for money, so he won't be going to Spurs, who would only pay him half of what we offered.

It'll be It's, City, Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool, as they would all take a punt on a free transfer, but pay a decent salary, not sure any of them would pay a fee for him though, so doubt it'll be this month, who knows though.