Report: Chelsea on verge of signing Everton's Barkley after making new bid

Chelsea is on the verge of completing its first winter signing with news that Ross Barkley will call Stamford Bridge home in the near future after the Blues submitted a new offer for the Everton midfielder, according to Matt Law of The Telegraph.

It's believed that negotiations between the Premier League rivals have accelerated and that a deal to sign Barkley for £15 million could be completed Friday.

Chelsea is hopeful of securing Barkley's services this month amid reports that Tottenham is eager to sign the 24-year-old in the summer on a free transfer after his Everton contract expires in June.

A move to Stamford Bridge would come less than six months after Barkley refused to join Chelsea last summer when the Blues pushed hard to sign him on transfer deadline day.

He reportedly wanted to return to fitness from a hamstring injury which has forced him to miss the entire season thus far. But Law reports that Barkley has been impressed by Chelsea's continued interest in signing him and that he is now ready to join Antonio Conte's side.

Everton manager Sam Allardyce confirmed Thursday that Barkley is close to regaining full fitness, and revealed that the Merseyside outfit isn't holding out hope of Barkley remaining in Liverpool much longer.

"I think that we are resigned and the club was resigned before I got here that we're going to lose Ross and I can't see that changing," he said, according to the Liverpool Echo.

The Liverpool native, who joined Everton when he was 11 years old, has appeared in 141 matches since making his senior debut in 2011 and has won over 20 caps for England.