Barkley given a sign or go date
® RONALD KOEMAN has told Ross Barkley to sign a new deal within the next week or leave.
The England midfielder, 23, is out of contract at the end of next season and has so far refused to sign a new £100,000-a-week deal.
The two Manchester clubs, Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal have all been linked with a possible move for Barkley, a lifelong Everton fan.
Manager Koeman is not prepared to risk losing the player on a free transfer when his current £65,000-aweek contract expires in just over a year’s time.
He has now issued a stark ultimatum before tonight’s Premier League home game against Watford.
Holiday
He said: “There is still one week for him to decide.
“The board has been working a long time to sign Ross for a longer period. It is up to the player, because we won’t wait until August.
“It needs to be next week, because, if we go for a holiday, we need to know if we need to sell the player.”
Koeman met chairman Bill Kenwright on Tuesday to discuss Barkley’s future, with the club keen to sort out the stand-off so they can firm up their plans.
Koeman added: “I think it’s his responsibility and the responsibility also of his agent to say yes or no.
“That’s what the club needs to know, because we can’t wait until the last moment. It’s not good for the player and it’s not good for the club.
“We offer him a contract, they had several meetings about a new contract. This is what he needs to sign if he wants to stay.”