Harry Redknapp: These three Tottenham midfielders are all better than Ross Barkley
By Harry Sykes
Harry Redknapp is not convinced that Ross Barkley is the player Tottenham need to strengthen their team.
The London giants have been linked with a swoop for the Everton playmaker, who has struggled to convince Ronald Koeman that he should be a regular starter.
It has been reported that Spurs are keen to take advantage of the contract situation of Barkley, who has 18 months remaining on his deal and could be available for a bargain fee in the next two transfer windows.
But former White Hart Lane manager Redknapp has questioned whether Tottenham should pay £30million-plus for the 23-year-old as he claimed the Everton man would not get in the team ahead of three of their current stars.
“Listen, I’m a big fan of Barkley but they’ve got Dele Alli, Mousa Dembele, Christian Eriksen – they’ve got players with fantastic ability in the middle of the park,” Redknapp told the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast Show on talkSPORT. “Is [Barkley] what they need? I don’t know.
“They’ve got such a strong starting 11, it would very difficult for anybody to break into that first-team.
“The problem for Tottenham is when they get a few injuries they do tend to struggle a bit, they have problems.
“But when they’ve got their best 11 out, I think they’re as good as any in the Premier League. I think it’ll be a big blow to Everton if they let him go, that’s for sure.”
Barkley has started 13 of Everton’s 16 Premier League matches this season but has been frequently criticised by manager Koeman for his distribution and for holding on to the ball too long.
He has also been regularly substituted and a return of two goals and two assists from all top flight matches is regarded as underwhelming for a player of his capabilities.
The Everton academy product has also lost his place in the England squad, although he did return to the starting XI on Tuesday as Koeman’s side secured a memorable 2-1 win over Arsenal.
In other Tottenham transfer news, this is why Spurs must make a January swoop for the final player recommended by Paul Mitchell.