Ross Barkley is on the verge of leaving Everton this summer and Arsenal are seriously looking at the possibility of sign the attacking midfielder if we are to believe reports.

With the arrival of Davy Klaassen at Everton, the transfer of Ross Barkley now seems likely and Arsenal are believed to be one of the most interested clubs in making a deal alongside Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea.

The 23-year-old playmaker has spent his whole footballing career at Everton making a total of 179 appearances for the club and is one of the best players ever to have come out of their youth setup.

Last season, Barkley made 39 appearances across three different competitions, scoring six goals and grabbing nine assists.

Style and strengths

Barkley is one of the toughest midfielders in the Premier League and his physical strength combined with his 6.2ft height make him a very tough opponent to take the ball from. His presence is felt on every part of the pitch he’s used, and he has been one of the top performers for Everton in the last few seasons.

His contribution to the attacking phase has been nothing short of remarkable. He creates an average of 2.28 chances and makes 2.06 key passes per game, maintaining an 83% passing success rate.

With his playmaking abilities also comes his threat to the opposition’s goal. The England international will take his chances from anywhere inside or outside of the box. On average he makes 1.33 attempts from outside and 1.17 from the inside of the penalty area per game.

His dribbling abilities are also one of his stronger traits and the player has a rate of 65.69% successful take ons per-match.

Barkley is also very versatile and can be played on either flank of the pitch as well as in central positions, just behind the striker or in a more deep, defensive role.

Weaknesses

Even though Ross Barkley is a great asset for Everton when going forward, the midfielder often fails to make an impact in the defensive phase and his defensive contribution is possibly the greatest weakness for him and his teammates.

The player is poor at tackling and commits fouls often – 1.36 per game – while only making 0.72 successful tackles per-game.

For a rather tall player with plenty of physical strength, he wins just under 50% of his aerial duels and he could learn how to position himself better to take full advantage of his strengths.

Could he succeed at Arsenal?

Barkley has plenty of talent, skills and ability that could help him succeed at Arsenal, and if he can improve his defensive skills and make even more of an impact in that area of the pitch, he could be a phenomenal asset for the Gunners.

His playmaking skills are well known, and the player is a serious danger in the final third of the pitch. Arsene Wenger would have plenty of use for a player who can set up goals and score himself.

With his contract running out in the summer of 2018 and with the player’s willingness to leave Everton, there couldn’t be a better time to make the transfer happen.

Everton are looking to get around £50m for the player, but with the player able to start talking to clubs in just a few months, they might become more flexible on that number the closer we get to the close of the window.

Goals, assists & skills

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48zlt5N0Qb0