Everton’s hopes of re-signing Ross Barkley from Luton Town have been dashed, with Aston Villa set to secure the midfielder’s signature instead.
Sources close to the deal have told Football Insider that Everton’s financial constraints have scuppered their chances of landing Barkley, despite manager Sean Dyche’s keen interest in bringing him back to Goodison Park.
Dyche is said to be “hugely frustrated” by the situation, as he had identified Barkley as a key target to bolster his squad. However, Everton’s need to sell players before making any new signings has hindered their ability to compete with Villa’s offer.
Barkley, 30, has enjoyed a career resurgence at Luton Town, scoring five goals and providing four assists in 32 Premier League appearances last season. His impressive form had alerted multiple Premier League clubs, including Everton, to his availability.
However, Villa have moved quickly to secure a two-year deal with a 12-month option, with no transfer fee involved due to a clause in Barkley’s Luton contract allowing him to leave for free if the club were relegated.
Everton’s financial struggles have been well-documented, and the club’s need to sell players to balance the books has limited Dyche’s transfer options.
The Toffees boss is expected to see his squad depleted further in the coming weeks, with at least one “big” star set to be sold before the club submits their accounts on June 30.
In a further blow, Bayern Munich are also pushing ahead with a deal to sign one of Everton’s star players, leaving Dyche’s transfer plans in disarray.