Chelsea leading the race to sign Barkley in January

Premier League champions Chelsea are the main contenders to sign Ross Barkley in the January window as Spurs hold off until the summer, as per the Telegraph.

The report suggests that Chelsea are willing to pay for the player in January, whereas Tottenham are keen to wait until the summer and land him as a free agent.

Chelsea came close to signing Barkley in the summer, only for the player to reject a move at the last minute to focus on his recovery.

Barkley is yet to play a minute of football for Everton this season, but that has not swayed Chelsea’s interest.

Head coach Antonio Conte is desperate for reinforcements in the new year as he looks to improve his options in the final third.

It is believed that Everton would like to have Barkley’s immediate future resolved sooner rather than later, which only favours the current Premier League champions in their bid to strike a deal.