Report: Spurs preparing £20M bid for Everton's Barkley; Chelsea could rival

Despite being sidelined with a serious injury, interest in Ross Barkley hasn't slowed down with news that the top two Premier League teams last season are in pursuit of the Everton midfielder.

Tottenham is in the process of preparing a £20-million bid, which could come close to £30 million with add-ons, to sign the 23-year-old, according to Matt Law of The Telegraph.

The north London team's pursuit, however, won't be uncontested as Chelsea, who has reportedly been interested in Barkley for a number of years, is expected to rival Tottenham with a bid as well.

A successful bid would likely coincide with Barkley signing a long-term contract, but the English international won't be able to make an impact until he overcomes a torn hamstring, which could keep him out of action for three months.

Barkley's relationship with the Merseyside club showed signs of deterioration near the end of last season when he refused to renew his contract before entering the final months of a deal that expires in 2018.

Everton had initially hoped to attract bids worth £50 million, but could be ready to settle for much less due to his contractual situation and the severity of his hamstring injury.

While Tottenham is said to be confident Barkley would get sufficient playing time under Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea will have the luxury of offering a better annual salary worth as much as £100,000 per week.

Since making his debut with the senior side, Barkley has appeared in 141 matches in all competitions with 27 goals.