Everton have warned Manchester City off star midfielder Ross Barkley.
The Liverpool Echo says Goodison chiefs have been angered by the timing of suggestions that ace Barkley has been lined up by the Premier League champions as their number one transfer target for next summer.
City enquired about Barkley before the World Cup finals but were put off by Everton's £50million valuation of a player they consider to be the brightest young talent in the English game.
City claim their valuation of Barkley - a player who has been compared to Paul Gascoigne and Michael Ballack - is a mere £20million. Everton would consider such an offer as completely derisory considering they sold a then 27-year-old defender Joleon Lescott to City for £22million over five years ago.
