£38m Barkley sale rubbished
EVERTON manager Roberto Martinez has laughed off speculation that promising England midfielder Ross Barkley could make a £38m cross-city move to Liverpool.
Martinez, whose Champions League-chasing outfit host Crystal Palace tonight, says he enjoys the rumours, which have also seen Barkley linked with a British record switch to Manchester United.
“In terms of the speculation, we already turned down a £50m bid from United so we’re not going to take £38m from Liverpool,” he joked. “It’s quite enjoyable to speak about speculation, it shows how well our players are doing.”
Palace, seven points above the top-flight drop zone with five to play, have fitness concerns over Yannick Bolasie and Kagisho Dikgacoi.