Arsenal urged to sign Everton's Ross Barkley amid Chelsea and Tottenham interest

Former Arsenal winger Perry Groves would "absolutely love" to see Everton playmaker Ross Barkley arrive at The Emirates Stadium but thinks the talented playmaker will instead move to either Chelsea or Tottenham Hotspur this summer.

Barkley, 23, is in the last year of his current contract at Goodison Park and rejected fresh terms earlier this year. The England international has made clear of his desire to leave Goodison Park this summer, but Everton are yet to receive any offers for him this summer.

Groves, who spent six largely successful seasons at Arsenal, thinks Barkley would be perfect for the Gunners and would be able to operate in a variety of positions for Arsene Wenger's side.

Their close rivals Tottenham are not willing to match Everton's asking price, which is believed to have lowered from £50m to around £35m in recent days, but Groves thinks Arsenal shouldn't think twice if a deal worth £25m becomes a possibility.

"I'd absolutely love him at Arsenal," Gorves told Bwin. "I'm a massive Ross Barkley fan and think he could be perfect for us. He's got something that other players don't have. If you can get Barkley for £25m, that's a no-brainer. He could play behind Lacazette or alongside [Granit] Xhaka – I'd love to have him.

"At this stage of his career, the money should not be the driving force. He wants to test himself and needs to do so at a club like Arsenal to earn the right to demand such money. I think he'll end up at Tottenham or Chelsea, which would be a real shame as he's entering the peak stage of his career. Too many people look at the negative aspects to Ross' game rather than what he can do."

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is believed to be keen on working with Barkley but a deal to bring the former Sheffield Wednesday loanee is far from cut and dried. Their frugal approach to negotiations has seemingly opened the door for Chelsea, who are looking to bolster their homegrown quota this summer.

Antonio Conte's side are in need of midfield reinforcements after letting Nemanja Matic, Nathaniel Chalobah and Ruben Loftus-Cheek leave the club and are believed to be prioritising a move for Barkley, who is currently recovering from groin surgery. Chelsea have also been linked with a move for Leicester City midfielder Danny Drinkwater.