Tuesday, 15th April, 2014
Roberto Martinez has joked at talk of Liverpool preparing a £38m bid for Everton midfielder Ross Barkley, pointing out that speculation also suggested Manchester United had offered £50m.
The young England international has further enhanced his reputation this season with a series of impressive performances for a Goodison Park outfit chasing a top four Champions League spot in the Premier League.
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And as such the transfer chatter has continued to grow, with the latest speculation suggesting Liverpool will offer £38m to sign Barkley from their neighbours.
But that is not a report that Martinez is taking too seriously.
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"Well, obviously in terms of the speculation we already turned down a £50m bid from Manchester United, so we're not going to take £38m", the Spaniard joked to a press conference when asked about the report of an expected offer for the 20-year-old from Liverpool.
Martinez does though feel the increased talk of a bid is a credit to Barkley and the form he has been in for Everton, along with the club's other young talents.
"I think the speculation shows how well our players are doing", he added.
Barkley could yet see his stock rise even higher with a successful World Cup with England this coming summer, while in the more immediate future Martinez will hope the midfielder can power the Toffees into the Champions League.
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