Manchester United Transfer Rumor: Are Red Devils, Chelsea Going Head-To-Head For Premiership Starlet?

According to the latest reports, probable Premiership champions Manchester United and West London-based fellow league side Chelsea are preparing a massive bid for Everton’s young English midfielder Ross Barkley to lure away the player to Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge, respectively.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is expected to continue his mission of building the future of the team at the transfer market this season as well. Although the boss had brought in a host of young blood into the team last summer, it is believed that the boss will continue his project of building the team for the future.

Chelsea, on the other hand, are believed to have made enquiries about both Barkley, 18, and Everton’s Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini who have had an impressive current season at the Goodison Park under David Moyes. Both players are believed to be in Chelsea’s extravagant shopping list among other top players from different parts of Europe and South America.

However, it is to be seen if Everton agrees to entertain any approaches by United and Chelsea made for Barkley at the end of the season as the player had already signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract that will keep him at Everton until the end of the 2016 season.

According to former Everton and Arsenal defender Martin Keown who is currently a pundit for the BBC and ESPN, “Barkley will be one of the best players we'll ever see in this country.”

Chelsea’s transfer bid is believed to be somewhere around $113.54 million (£70 million) for both players, according to a Sun report.

Barkley, who has been with Everton since he was 11 years old and has represented England at under-16, under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels, has made nine appearances for the Toffees thus far.