Everton reject Chelsea bid for Ross Barkley — report

Dawn breaks on the penultimate day of the 2017 summer transfer window, and with it comes the news that Everton have rejected Chelsea’s £25m bid for Ross Barkley. The Times claim that Everton are still holding out for something closer to £40m.

If £40m, even if it’s £10m below Everton’s original asking price, sounds outrageous for a want-away player who is injured and is in the last year of his contract — he probably won’t be able to play until the new year, at which point he could sign a pre-contract with a non-Premier League team for free — that’s because it is.

It’s no wonder no one was biting at £50m, and Spurs, who have been the supposed front runners, have been able to wait comfortably until the final few days to score a bargain. Their supposed maximum offer is £20m plus £8m in bonuses. If Everton rejected £25m from Chelsea straight up, they must still be hoping for a bidding war.

One would hope that neither Spurs nor Chelsea are silly enough to bid anything beyond the 20s for the midfielder.