Tottenham round-up: Barkley excited by Pochettino project; Jenas’ voices concerns

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Working with Mauricio Pochettino is the major reason behind Ross Barkley’s attraction to Tottenham Hotspur, according to Thursday’s Standard. The Everton midfielder has been linked with a move to Spurs all summer after failing to agree a new contract at his boyhood club.

Although the two clubs in question have yet to agree a fee, there is a growing belief that a deal will be done. Everton, of course, have already signed Davy Klaassen from Ajax and Wayne Rooney from Manchester United, both of whom can play in the same position as Barkley.

The Toffees are understood to value Barkley at £50 million, despite the 23-year-old only having only one year left on his contract. The Evening Standard also claims that Barkley would not become the highest earner at Tottenham, should he join. Currently, star players Harry Kane and Dele Alli top the wage bill, taking home £100,000 per week, and that is not expected to change.

Meanwhile, BBC pundit Jermaine Jenas believes his former side could struggle to make it into the top four this coming season. Spurs were runners-up last term – finishing ahead of arch-rivals Arsenal for the first time this century – and were the only realistic contenders to Chelsea’s supremacy. Jenas, who played for Spurs between 2005-13, cites the lack of transfer activity and the move to Wembley Stadium, which is enabling their new stadium to be completed.

Jenas reckons these factors could undermine their charge and is quoted in the Independent as saying: “The disappointing thing from a Spurs point of view is that (Kyle) Walker has gone to Manchester City and in doing so he has massively strengthened a competitor for that Premier League title. The other side to that is that Spurs were always going to sell to the highest bidder, and the clubs in the Premier League have the most money.”