Ross Barkley is becoming the Premier League’s best number 10
Everton midfielder Ross Barkley has taken a huge step forward this season
Everton manager Roberto Martinez has revealed that he wants to build his side around 22-year-old midfielder Ross Barkley. That’s just a testament to how much Barkley’s game has grown this season. He is well on his way to becoming the best number 10 in the Premier League.
The Guardian reports that Martinez is confident that Barkley will pen a new deal with the Toffees this summer. Everyone at the club should sincerely hope so, he’s truly a world-class talent.
This season we have seen Barkley’s game go from promising to polished. He’s always shown flashes of real brilliance out on the pitch, but his inconsistency prevented him from being mentioned with the Premier League’s elite attacking midfielders. This season, Barkley’s game has taken the giant leap forward necessary to get into that exclusive club.
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The English international’s production has begun to match his immense potential this year. Barkley is second on the team in goals with eight and leads the Toffees with seven assists in 24 Premier League appearances. He’s been a threat to score himself and also to set up his prolific teammates like striker Romelu Lukaku.
His 7.60 Whoscored.com player rating also tops the club. It also puts him just outside the Premier League’s top-five rated players. By any objective measure Barkley has been among the best in the Premier League.
There’s been more to his game than just offense and statistics this season though. Barkley has become the real leader of his Everton team. Even in the midst of a season where they haven’t achieved the results they hoped for, he’s elevated the club’s play.
He has found ways to contribute on both ends of the pitch, which according to Martinez is a significant change for the English international. In the Guardian, Martinez specifically points out that Barkley tracked back to win the ball back from Andros Townsend when it wasn’t his responsibility. This is just one example of how Barkley’s game has grown and matured in the past year.
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The evolution of Barkley’s game will need to continue over the next several seasons if he’s going to become the absolute best number 10 in the Premier League. Right now, as good as he’s been, he still finds himself slightly behind a couple of other older players. Both Arsenal talisman Mesut Ozil and West Ham star Diego Payet currently can claim they are slightly better than Barkley.
Barkley’s advantage in becoming the best of that trio, is his age. We’ve seen so much of Barkley at such a young age that it’s easy to forget he is just 22. He still has a number of years before he truly enters the prime of his career. Just because he’s been in the Premier League for several seasons, you can’t overlook how much time he still has to develop physically and mentally.
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The main obstacle that could derail Barkley’s development is if Everton fails to progress as a club. Despite having a bevy of top-end talent, Martinez has failed to get his side moving towards the top of the Premier League table this season. For Barkley to truly become the best number 10 in the league, he’ll need to show that he can pull his team’s performance up with his own.
Lost in Everton’s struggles this season is the astounding development of midfielder Ross Barkley. He’s well on his way to becoming the Premier League’s top number 10.