Martinez does not want Barkley to leave the club.
Everton manager Roberto Martinez has vowed to keep hold of midfielder Ross Barkley despite strong interest from Chelsea.
The England international had a great season with the Toffees in 2013/14 and as a result was picked in Roy Hodgson’s 23-man squad for the 2014 World Cup.
Martinez has been greatly credited for Barkley’s success, having given the 20-year-old a consistent run in the first team and the Spaniard is not prepared to give up his prized asset just yet.
“No [the club do not want to sell Barkley], because that would be wrong for him,” the 40-year-old was quoted by the Mirror.
“I always feel as a manager, you develop a relationship with players and you’re always honest with them.
“Ross is a phenomenal talent, probably the best English talent I have ever seen, but he is not the finished article yet and you need to be very careful.
“It’s our duty to protect him and I know Everton is the perfect place for him for the next 12 months.
“In football, obviously you can never speak about the future. Obviously we need to come along and try to get into the top four positions to offer players like Ross the next stage of their development.
“But Ross is delighted at Everton and feels very much in the right place at the right time of his career.”
Barkley made 38 appearances in all competitions this term, scoring seven goals and his nationality is what is particularly appealing to the Blues.
With Premier League clubs all having to adhere to the homegrown quota, the Englishman would help the west Londoners meet theirs – as well as providing his top-class talent.
Read more Chelsea transfer rumours.
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