Neville: Koeman is pushing Barkley towards Everton exit

Ross Barkley is being forced out of Everton by manager Ronald Koeman, according to former captain Phil Neville.

The Toffees star is approaching the final year of his current contract and rumours are rife that he is about to pack it in at Goodison Park and head for pastures new.

Koeman has been particularly vocal about that prospect in recent weeks, challenging the 23-year-old to sign a new deal quickly or be sold – with Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur reportedly keen.

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Barkley is often a source of frustration for Everton supporters, who have not seen his undoubted quality displayed consistently over a full season.

But he remains a key member of Koeman’s team and would be a disappointing loss for the club, although Neville thinks the manager has other ideas.

“I keep listening to Ronald Koeman , and there is an obsession with talking about Ross Barkley every time he does a press conference,” he said.

“It looks to me as if he wants him to leave, you don’t just keep saying ‘he has a week to decide’, ‘tomorrow I’ll issue a statement’.

“It seems to me as if he is probably trying to push Ross out of the door. That is what it looks like from the outside.”