Manchester City manager Pellegrini is reportedly eyeing a big-money bid for Everton midfielder Ross Barkley.
The Chilean is keen to bolster his squad in the summer, and has prioritised the signings of home-grown players. Barkley has been recommended by a number of his scouts, with the 20-year-old scoring a wonder goal in the Toffees’ 3-0 win over Newcastle United on Tuesday.
Boss Roberto Martinez is building his Everton team around the youngster who is being widely expected to make it it into the England squad for this summer’s World Cup in Brazil.
The Spanish boss already values the youngster at around 30 million and the price will rise significantly if he were to perform well at the tournament. Pellegrini is likely to have competition, but the Etihad chief can outbid most for the player, who wants to stay in the Premier League. With a number of fringe stars set to be axed in the summer, Barkley will be wooed with the promise of regular first-team football at City, though it remains to be seen if he will be willing to leave the Champions League-chasing Merseysiders. A source at the club told FootballDirectNews.com: “The manager wants only the very best talent from Britain and Barkley certainly comes into that category.
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