0Ross Barkley will not move to Tottenham in January
Tottenham are on the hunt for attacking talent in January and Ross Barkley is certainly a very talented attacker. That doesn’t mean that Spurs are going to move for the Everton star in January though. Barkley does not fit what Mauricio Pochettino wants out of his attacking midfielders.
The British tabloids have been running wild with the story that Tottenham are planning a £35 million move for Barkley this January. The English midfielder clearly isn’t a favorite of current Everton boss Ronald Koeman, and certainly could be looking for an escape from Merseyside. Just don’t count on the move to be to White Hart Lane.
To be completely honest, I wish I was wrong on this one. I think Barkley is a terrific talent who has the sort of ability to become a real superstar. I would love to see Spurs make a decisive move for him in the winter transfer window.
Barkley won’t be making the move to the lily-whites though. The same problems that cause him to frustrate his current manager would cause conflict between he and Pochettino. He doesn’t have the work rate that Spurs demand from their attacking midfield players.
If you’ve watched Barkley closely at Everton you see a player who thrives in possession. He s best utilized as a central attacking midfielder when your team has plenty of time on the ball. In those situations, he can use his powerful frame to burst past defenders and get himself into dangerous positions. Once there, his excellent finishing ability and sublime passing skills create goals for his team.
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Unfortunately, he really struggles when his club don’t have the ball. That’s precisely why Koeman is willing to sell him in the first place. He realizes that Barkley is a special offensive talent, but his lack of contributions on the defensive end of the pitch make him expendable.
Pochettino can see same holes in Barkley’s game. In some ways, he impacts the match the same way Christian Eriksen does for Spurs. Both men can terrorize opposing defenders but can look pretty weak when they’re chasing the ball. It’s hard to imagine Pochettino playing two players with that deficiency at the same time.
The only way Tottenham are going to meet Everton’s valuation for Barkley this January is if Eriksen gets sold. Since I don’t expect the classy Dane to leave White Hart Lane anytime soon, it’s a fair bet that Barkley will stay at Goodison Park. It’s a shame though. I’d love to see what Pochettino could do with such a prodigious talent.