Report: Everton to demand £50M for Barkley in event of summer sale
Everton will ask clubs interested in signing Ross Barkley to pay £50 million for the England international if he chooses to leave Goodison Park this summer, according to The Telegraph's Chris Bascombe.
Toffees manager Ronald Koeman prodded the 23-year-old, who has hesitated to sign a new contract, to decide whether to stay or go by the end of the season.
Barkley is unlikely to reach a conclusion by the time Everton travels to north London for Sunday's finale against Arsenal, and Bascombe believes any delay could fray negotiations between the club and the player it developed.
Related: Koeman gives Barkley 1 week to decide on Everton future
The Merseyside outfit is apparently convinced it can demand a high fee despite the fact Barkley has just 12 months remaining on his current deal. It succeeded in a similar standoff with Manchester City last summer, allowing defender John Stones to leave for an amount close to Everton's initial £50-million asking price.
Barkley may be tempted to force his way out of the club on a free transfer, although in a year leading up to the World Cup, such a decision could jeopardise his role with the national team. Koeman could elect to freeze the Liverpool native out of his squad and instead field a replacement.
According to the Daily Mail's Dominic King, the Dutchman has long admired Swansea's free-kick specialist, Gylfi Sigurdsson, while De Telegraaf's Mike Verweij indicates Koeman has already scouted Ajax midfielder Davy Klaassen as a potential reinforcement.
Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, and City have all been linked with Barkley in recent months.