Manchester United and Chelsea would be wise to save some money and buy Everton star Ross Barkley instead of Real Madrid’s James Rodriguez
Rumors are swirling of Manchester United and Chelsea preparing bids for Real Madrid star James Rodriguez. The Colombian star is out of favor with the La Liga giants and could be ready for a move to the Premier League. Both clubs would be better suited to save a few pounds and opt for Everton’s Ross Barkley instead.
The Mirror are reporting that Real Madrid is willing to sell James to either United or Chelsea, but they are going to require a minimum of 60 million pounds to get a deal done. That, in and of itself, isn’t a bad prize for such a talented player who’s just entering the prime of his career, but it’s not going to be the best deal out there for either Premier League club this summer.
If United and Chelsea are really committed to improving their number ten position, they should be in hot pursuit of Ross Barkley. His name doesn’t inspire quite the same images of grandeur as the Real Madrid man, but he is a much safer bet to succeed in the Premier League. While James would have to learn and adjust his game to suit the English game, Barkley has grown up and flourished in this environment.
More from Playing for 90
- Alexia Putellas reaches 400 games with Barcelona
- Everything you need to know ahead of the 250th ‘Super Clásico’
- Barcelona put five past Real Betis
- Manchester City suffer but come away with win over West Ham
- Baffling Liga MX ruling strips Puebla of a hard-earned victory
It’s been easy to miss given the disappointing season Everton are having, but Barkley is still having a strong season for Roberto Martinez’s side. He’s got eight goals and seven assists on the season for the Toffees and he leads the club in Whoscored.com player rating average for the year. There can be no doubt that he is one of the best attacking midfielders in the Premier League.
Barkley also has the advantage of being two years younger than James. Don’t let the Colombian attacker’s baby-face fool you, he’s already 24 years of age. Barkley is still just 22 and should have more football development in front of him than James. It’s an impressive accomplishment for Barkley to be performing at such a high level at such a young age.
The Everton man also should be valued more because he will qualify as a home-grown player. The system dictates that a premium be placed on English talent, so Barkley’s price has to be driven up.
While an argument can certainly be made over which player is better at the current moment in time, Barkley’s also likely to cost less than James. Real Madrid knows they can command a king’s ransom for their marketable star, where Everton might not be able to hold up against the financial pressure of Chelsea or United. Do you really believe Everton could repel a 50 million pound bid for their midfield engine?
Related Story: Romelu Lukaku must stop Everton transfer talk
The choice here is pretty clear for both clubs. Barkley is the safer choice because of his Premier League experience, he’s younger, and he would cost less than the talented Real Madrid man. I wouldn’t quibble with Manchester United or Chelsea buying either of the two high-end talents, but their first-choice should certainly be Ross Barkley.