Liverpool set to battle Manchester City for Ross Barkley
Liverpool are set to engage with Manchester City in an intriguing battle for the services of Ross Barkley, reports suggest.
Speculation from the British press early on Tuesday morning had suggested that the latter were once again targeting a swoop for the £50 million-rated Everton starlet who has developed a deserved reputation as one of English football's brightest young talents in recent years.
Now, according to the Daily Star, Liverpool are set to go head-to-head with the reigning Premier League champions for Barkley having first pondered the possibility of such a deal earlier this year.
Rivals
While Liverpool do appear to maintain a significant interest in Barkley, it remains to be seen if Everton would be willing to offload such a precocious talent to their fiercest rivals.
Quite simply, at this stage, the Toffees and Roberto Martinez are under no pressure whatsoever to sell the 20-year-old.
Barkley's impressively mature decision to put pen-to-paper on a new four-year deal at Goodison Park following a hugely encouraging 2013/14 season - during which the Merseyside native scored six goals in 34 top-flight appearances - amid serious interest from elsewhere means that there is no immediate danger posed at all to Everton with regards to losing his services for a dramatically reduced fee.
City favourites?
Everton's reluctance to part with a player who has already earned nine senior England caps and has subsequently been tipped for an enormous future at both domestic and international level is perfectly understandable, but in the event that they did decide to cash-in, you would surely have to give the edge to City.
Not only do their vast financial reserves mean that they are more likely to be able to pay the sort of inflated price that will inevitably be demanded during any future negotiations, but their status as perennial title contenders - rather than top-four hopefuls - means they offer far less risk as a potential buyer in terms of the possible damage inflicted on Everton's chances of progression.
Injury woe
The new campaign is yet to properly get underway for Barkley, of course, after he sustained a serious knee injury during pre-season training that prompted initial fears that he could miss the rest of 2014.
Such concerns were allayed earlier this month, however, with Martinez himself confirming that Barkley's rehabilitation was progressing ahead of schedule.
http://www.givemesport.com/506299-liverpool-set-to-battle-manchester-city-for-ross-barkley
Could be brilliant but I cant see it happening.
that is a load of pointless waffle.
we have no chance of getting him, and everton will only sell to city if it suits the club to, which obviously £50 mill well may do.
if for arguments sake we could compete with them for price and everton would sell to us as well, we then have the fact we have no chance of matching what city would pay in wages.

TBH, I was expecting a bite but expected it to be more of a blue colour![]()
I've said before, 2 reasons why he'll never sing for the RS
1) He's a proper Blue nose
2) Bill Kenwright would be hung from the main stand by his bollocks if he ever even contemplated it.
If he continues to improve and progress his own game, then I don't think any Blue is daft enough to think that unless we somehow became a CL regular, that we'd be able to hold on to him in the longer term. But if and when he does eventually move on, it certainly won't be to the RS.
I've said before, 2 reasons why he'll never sing for the RS
1) He's a proper Blue nose
2) Bill Kenwright would be hung from the main stand by his bollocks if he ever even contemplated it.
If he continues to improve and progress his own game, then I don't think any Blue is daft enough to think that unless we somehow became a CL regular, that we'd be able to hold on to him in the longer term. But if and when he does eventually move on, it certainly won't be to the RS.

1) so was Rooney
2) Money talks
I don't think it will happen but nothing is impossible![]()

When did Rooney sign for the RS?
Sone deals are impossible and that's one of them.


In 2004
Seriously though Tobes, if Liverpool can offer him a chance of challenging for the CL and PL, why wouldn't he join? Player join clubs they reckon they wouldn't ever join all the time. Fowler, McManaman, Rush were all everton fans. Alan Smith was a die hard Leeds fan who claimed he'd never play for Man Utd. I've already mentioned Rooney. Owen going to Man Utd too. If there is something that attracts the players then they'd join.
As for Kenwright selling, I'll say my usual stance; you wouldn't sell for £1 but you would sell for £1b, somewhere inbetween there is a turning point
I agree with you that it won't happen, its just not as cast iron as you suggest![]()

he's not even that good a player. £20m max, anymore is a rip off.
Firstly, really?
Secondly, for the 2 reasons mentioned earlier, it's not a deal that would ever happen, as there'd be no desire from the player and even less from his club. The end.

I'd like Barkley. Barkley is a great player and would fit in well at Liverpool. I wouldn't say "never". I'm sure for the right price you would sell him.
Liverpool aren't the top team in England at the moment- Chelsea and City are the teams to beat- but along with Arsenal we make up the 2nd tier. Barkley could be persuaded to join Liverpool- he wouldn't have to move cities and could compete in Europe and at home for silverware.
I think it is naïve to assume that because he started life as an Everton fan he wouldn't play for Liverpool. Plenty of players over the years have played for "rivals". Some, like Carra, became diehard supporters for the club.
Is it Beardsley who has played not just for both Everton and Liverpool but also both Manchester clubs?
If City wants him though it may be hard for us to compete!
jenners04:7121904 said:depends on the player i suppose, is he going to get into that team, or will he end up like the player they had off them before (cant remember name though lol) who just sat on the bench and wasted what talent he did show playing for everton to start with.
Liverpool aren't the top team in England at the moment- Chelsea and City are the teams to beat- but along with Arsenal we make up the 2nd tier. Barkley could be persuaded to join Liverpool- he wouldn't have to move cities and could compete in Europe and at home for silverware.
I think it is naïve to assume that because he started life as an Everton fan he wouldn't play for Liverpool. Plenty of players over the years have played for "rivals". Some, like Carra, became diehard supporters for the club.
Is it Beardsley who has played not just for both Everton and Liverpool but also both Manchester clubs?
If City wants him though it may be hard for us to compete!