Ross Barkley could end up joining Arsenal, according to former Everton captain Alan Stubbs.

• Barkley looks set to leave Everton this summer after refusing to sign new contract
• Manchester United, Manchester City and Spurs have been linked with him

Barkley’s Everton future is in doubt after he refused to sign a new contract with the club.

Everton manager Ronald Koeman has also been very public about Barkley’s situation and claimed the midfielder would be sold if he didn’t sign. Their £26m signing of Ajax’s Davy Klassen seems to suggest that Barkley is on the way out.

Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham are said to be interested, but Alan Stubbs believes Arsenal would be his most likely destination.

“The fact that Ross still hasn’t signed, I think that’s the biggest indicator that his future lies elsewhere,” he said, reports the Metro.

“With Tottenham you have got Dele Alli in a similar position and, looking at Dele, he is ahead of Ross at this moment in time.

“Looking at those teams I think Arsenal are probably a team that he could go to.”

Whether Stubbs is basing that assessment on the potential departures of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, or whether he genuinely believes Barkley could get into the team ahead of those two, is unclear.

It’s difficult to see Arsenal being seriously interested in Barkley. While he’s a gifted player, he’s also flawed in his decision-making, and Arsenal would be looking at more intelligent playmakers should they need to replace Ozil or Sanchez.