Tottenham are reportedly set to give up on Everton ace Ross Barkley due to his price-tag and instead consider re-signing ex-midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Mauricio Pochettino faces an important summer in that he’ll look to bring in new faces to strengthen his squad, while also ensuring that he keeps hold of all the key individuals already at the club.
Having made progress again this season with a second-placed Premier League finish and a run to the FA Cup semi-finals, it will be about pushing on to the next level and winning trophies next season, and Sigurdsson could be a part of that.
According to The Daily Mail, Pochettino is an admirer of Barkley and has been keen on signing him for months. However, with Everton wanting up to £50m for the England international despite his contract having just over 12 months left on it, the Spurs boss is unwilling to pursue that option and will look at Sigurdsson who he believes shouldn’t have left White Hart Lane in the first place.
That decision was out of the Argentine tactician’s hands as the playmaker left in 2014 when Pochettino had just arrived at Tottenham, and it’s suggested that at 27 years of age he is ready to make an immediate impact and has the additional benefit of knowing how Tottenham work following his previous two-year stint.
In contrast, Barkley, 23, hasn’t found his top level yet and will need development. While that would seemingly suit Pochettino given his track record, with Spurs under pressure to contend for trophies next season and with a sensible transfer budget in place, it all points towards snubbing the Barkley swoop and focusing attention on Sigurdsson instead.
Sigurdsson made 83 appearances for Tottenham in all competitions between 2012 and 2014 and scored 13 goals. Having helped Swansea City stay up this season, perhaps a return could be a sensible move.