‘It seems like Ronald Koeman is trying to push Ross Barkley out of Everton’, Phil Neville tells talkSPORT
Phil Neville says Ronald Koeman has an ‘obsession’ with Ross Barkley and believes he is trying to force the England midfielder out of Everton.
The 23-year-old is out of contract on Merseyside in 2018 and he has been offered a ultimatum by the Toffees boss, to sign a new deal or be sold this summer.
Koeman had publicly given Barkley a deadline last week and, after their final-day loss at Arsenal on Sunday, the Dutchman revealed he will meet with the board and release a statement on his future on Monday.
“I keep listening to Ronald Koeman, and there is an obsession with talking about Ross Barkley every time he does a press conference,” former Everton defender Neville told talkSPORT.
“It looks to me as if he wants him to leave, you don’t just keep saying ‘he has a week to decide’, ‘tomorrow I’ll issue a statement’. It seems to me as if he is probably trying to push Ross out of the door. That is what it looks like from the outside.”
Romelu Lukaku, who has two years left on his deal, has similarly been linked with a move away from Everton after rejecting a new long-term contract, but it is Barkley who has been criticised more often by Koeman.
He was dropped to the bench for the Emirates clash - with Koeman insisting it was for ‘tactical’ purposes - but was brought on after 26 minutes following Laurent Koscielny’s dismissal.
Barkley has made 39 appearances for his boyhood club this season, scoring six goals and laying on nine assists in all competitions, and has been linked with north London duo Tottenham and Arsenal since his contract stand-off took another turn.
Neville continued: “I am sure if you are a top four, top six club now you will be thinking you can get him relatively cheap - £20m-£30m with a year left on his contract.
“That, in this day and age, is a snip so I think he has probably played his last game for Everton.”