Tottenham are already preparing for life without Mousa Dembele and Pochettino has identified Ross Barkley as the ideal long term replacement.
According to The Times, Spurs are worried that Dembele will soon struggle to cope with the physical demands of English football and therefore he will need to be replaced adequately.
The 30-year-old midfielder has been playing regular first team football since the age of 19 and he might not be able to play at the highest level beyond his early thirties.
Pochettino wants to convert Barkley into a central midfielder for Spurs. Often used as number 10 at Everton, Barkley is young and talented enough to learn the role of a central midfielder. The Tottenham manager believes that Barkley’s future lies in the central midfield where he can control the tempo of Tottenham’s game.
Dembele has two years left on his current deal and signing Barkley this summer would give the player some time to get used to the new role without too much pressure and urgency.
The 23-year-old Everton star is valued at £50 million and his suitors are unlikely to match the asking price. Barkley has just one year left on his current deal and Everton’s valuation seems unrealistic.
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