Ross Barkley does not deserve to be one of Tottenham’s top earners

The Ross Barkley to Tottenham Hotspur transfer saga rumbles on – there is still no reported agreement on a fee in the latest report made by The Mirror today.

While Spurs’ reported valuation of the England international (£15 million) may be a bit low, the wages that the playmaker is supposedly asking for is what stuck out while reading the article.

The English newspaper suggest that Barkley wants weekly wages of £150,000, which has seen him reject a new deal at Everton and will be a major stumbling block in any move to Tottenham.

If Spurs were to grant his request, Barkley would become the top earner at the North London club and shatter the current wage structure.

Looking at it objectively, it may be time for Tottenham to walk away from Barkley and look to other options.

Wages more than Harry Kane, Toby Alderweireld or Hugo Lloris get paid could and surely would not be sanctioned, while a fee close to or more than the club’s record transfer make any deal look unappealing.

With Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Son Heung-min and Erik Lamela once fit in the Tottenham ranks, is Barkley going to get into the Spurs starting XI?

I don’t think so.

As such, in an inflated transfer market Spurs risk making another Moussa Sissoko-like mistake by overspending on a player that seems likely to end up as a fringe figure.

There is no doubting that Barkley is a technically gifted player that would surely improve under Mauricio Pochettino’s guidance.

The Everton man could be a revelation at Spurs – but at the transfer fee and wages being mentioned, Tottenham should look elsewhere.