Ross Barkley is unlikely to play again this year due to injury and Tottenham are now deciding whether to try and push through with a move for him this month, on vastly reduced terms.

Spurs had been lining up a move for Barkley, who wants out of Goodison Park having rejected the offer of a new deal last season. Since then Everton have invested heavily with Davy Klaassen, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Wayne Rooney all arriving and many now believe Barkley to be surplus to Ronald Koeman’s requirements.

Everton were asking for a £40million deal with £35million down, but now those sorts of terms are out of the window with Barkley set to undergo surgery on his hamstring, which he injured last week.

Barkley is set to be out of action until November and he is unlikely to be fit until the New Year.

Spurs are aware of the situation and remain interested, but they have to decide whether to bid for him now, in January or wait to sign him for free next summer.

Tottenham are now contemplating whether to bid and if they do, due to the fact he won’t play until 2018 – sources believe they would not offer Everton more than £20million, and it remains to be seen if The Toffees would drop their asking price to that level.

Bookmakers firmly believe at the moment that he will be staying with Spurs for the window and is rated 8/13 with a move to Tottenham at 11/8.

Arsenal and Chelsea have also been linked in recent days but I have been told by sources close to Barkley that the player has his heart set on a move to Tottenham to link-up with Mauricio Pochettino.

Football INDEX is a stockmarket game where players, known as Traders, take a position on the “future success” of footballers with real money – CLICK HERE to play and start winning, and take advantage of your £20 cashback only with TheGamblingTimes.