Chelsea do not have a first option to sign Ross Barkley

Given the numerous transfer dealings between the two clubs, most of which have benefited Everton, it was only a matter of time before someone got five (i.e. Ross Barkley) when adding two and two.  That someone turned out to be Tony Barrett of The Times, who posed his theory so convincingly to Roberto Martinez, that the Everton manager has seen fit to deny it in no uncertain terms.

No, no. Not at all," the Everton manager said when asked if Chelsea had secured an option on Barkley as part of the Lukaku and Atsu transactions. "We have a good relationship and a professional relationship and I want to believe that they [Chelsea] feel that they can trust us in sending players out on loan.

"I don't think that relationship goes any further. The chairman [Bill Kenwright] has been instrumental in forging that relationship more than anyone. He has developed that bridge between the two clubs and there is a possibility for both to use it in a good way, but there is no commitment in any sort of future deals."

-source: The Times

So, no Barkley strings attached to the Lukaku and Atsu deals.  Then again, considering how Martinez spent much of the summer playing down the Romelu Lukaku rumors, only for Everton to buy the big kid for a club record fee, perhaps we shouldn't trust him any more than we trusted Mourinho when he said that the market is closed to us and then we signed somebody within 48 hours.

Barkley did just agree to a brand new 4-year deal with the club he's been at since age 11, but that will most likely just mean that Everton will collect an even more handsome fee when (perhaps?) the best young English player moves to one of the top 4 clubs.  But that's probably at least a year away.