Everton boss Ronald Koeman is hoping to agree on a swap deal with Tottenham Hotspur for Moussa Sissoko, with Ross Barkley going the other way.
This season isn’t going according to plan for Everton, who are currently sitting in 9th place on the Premier League table. The Toffees are now looking to strengthen their squad in January in order to compete with the Premier League elite.
According to The Mirror, Everton boss Ronald Koeman is eyeing a swap deal with Tottenham Hotspur for Moussa Sissoko, who has been unable to settle into life at the London club, after joining from Newcastle United in a deal worth £30 million this past summer.
The Frenchman has been unable to break into Mauricio Pochettino’s squad this term, and the Argentine has publicly demanded more of the 27-year-old, saying that he needed to work hard in the future and prove that he deserved a place in the starting XI.
Spurs’ record signing has made only 14 appearances in all competitions this term and out of his 10 Premier League appearances this term, has started only 5. He is yet to score a goal for them this season and was even suspended in October for 3 games for elbowing Bournemouth’s Harry Arter.
The deal will see Ross Barkley, who is rumoured to be a January target for Spurs, going the other way. The report states that Koeman has run out of patience with the young Englishman after a series of underwhelming performances this season, most recently against Liverpool.
Koeman has been openly critical of the 23-year-old’s performances this season, and after the Merseyside derby, insisted that he needed to improve in every aspect of his game in order to live up to expectations.
Barkley has made 17 appearances this season, 15 of them in the Premier League, but has managed only 2 goals and 2 assists, which doesn’t seem to be enough for Koeman. The Englishman has 18 months left on his current contract, but Everton may look to cash in on the youngster in January.
Both managers will be desperate to ensure they secure European competition next season and reinforcements will be needed, especially for Everton. This move would make sense for both clubs, as Everton are said to be willing to let Barkley go for £30 million, which is around the same as what Spurs paid for Sissoko in the summer.
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