Ross Barkley is keen to join Tottenham after hearing glowing reports about manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Spurs remain keen on the England midfielder, as first revealed by Standard Sport last December. They will not pay the £50million Everton are demanding as Barkley has only one year remaining on his contract, but there is quiet optimism on all sides that an agreement can be reached.

Barkley, 23, was initially reluctant to move to London but is understood to have been swayed by what he has heard of Pochettino.

Barkley knows Tottenham players Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Danny Rose and Eric Dier from representing England and has been impressed by what they have told him of the Spurs boss.

If Barkley does move to Spurs, there is little chance he would earn the same basic wage as the club’s best-paid players, Harry Kane and Hugo Lloris. The pair’s basic wage is about £100,000 a week, while Barkley collects about £60,000 a week at Everton.

UPDATE

Standard Sport understands that Barkley is also on the radar of Arsenal.