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Manchester United have been linked with an astonishing move for Luton Town’s Ross Barkley.
The 30 year old midfielder was once seen as one of the young gems of the Premier League and was even compared to Wayne Rooney at one stage.
The ex-Everton player got a big move to Chelsea in 2018 but a series of injuries and poor form resulted in the player only pulling on a blue shirt 100 times and scoring 12 goals during his spell in West London.
The midfield man moved to Luton this summer and has been a mainstay in the team, playing 24 times and scoring three goals.
The Sun now report that the player could be in line for a shock move to Old Trafford to replace Casemiro.
“Manchester United’s new regime are lining up a shock move for Luton star Ross Barkley,” reporter Alan Nixon claims.
“United supremo Sir Jim Ratcliffe and sidekick Sir David Brailsford are huge fans of born-again Barkley who they took to their other club Nice in France”.
The England international almost snatched a point for the Hatters last weekend against United when his glancing header clipped the top of the crossbar in almost the last kick of the game.
The outlet report that “Barkley’s dazzling form for the Hatters has put him on the wanted list at Old Trafford as a surprise and cheap capture”.
Furthermore, were Luton to go down, the Red Devils could sign the player for a relatively cheap fee and with potential problems with Financial Fair Play, it might just be a deal that would attract the new owners.
The Sun states, “the Ineos team hinted they have to work within budgets and signing a top player for a small sum would work for them”.
United were linked to the midfielder many moons ago in 2017 when the player’s star was very much on the rise at Everton.
However, a 30-year-old Chelsea reject is hardly the profile that INEOS are likely to have in their shopping list and this smacks of mischief-making by The Sun, who seem to be basing their logic on “if they bought him for Nice, they’ll buy him for United.” Hang onto your hats for bids for Kasper Schmeichel and Kasper Dolberg.
Moreover, the suggestion he could replace Casemiro is also bordering on ridiculous, considering Barkley is in no way a defensive midfielder. But then, who are we to doubt “Reluctant Nicko“?