West Ham fans split on potential deal for Everton midfielder Ross Barkley

Slaven Bilic’s West Ham will go into next season hoping for much better after a disappointing Premier League campaign this time round.

The Hammers laboured to an 11th place finish in the top-flight and at one stage looked set to be embroiled in a relegation scrap, only for the East London outfit to secure key wins over Swansea and Tottenham, as well as draws against Sunderland, Everton, and Stoke, to pull clear of danger.

In the end, Bilic’s men finished 11 points clear of the relegation zone but 16 points shy of Everton in seventh, the position they sealed last season following a stunning campaign at Upton Park.

And the Hammers boss is already planning for a much-improved season next term, having signed Manchester City stalwart Pablo Zabaleta, and another man he is reportedly interested in is Everton’s wantaway midfielder Ross Barkley.

The 23-year-old has yet to agree a contract extension at Goodison Park, and with Toffees manager Ronald Koeman making it clear that they’ll sell his this summer if no deal is agreed, it looks increasingly likely that the England star will leave his boyhood club.

And West Ham are believed to be rivalling Tottenham for the midfielder, and news of such interest has stimulated quite a response on Twitter, with some Hammers supporters welcoming a potential deal for Barkley…

Lanzini alongside Barkley would be quality!

— Billy Rutts – TWHW (@itsbillyrutts) May 28, 2017

@talkSPORT Great if its true

— Paul Marsh (@hammergeezer58) May 28, 2017

@WestHam_Central We had Kev Nolan playing as CAM few years back people saying no to Barkley are crazy

— ⚒ L U K E Y ⚒ (@LUKEY_WHU) May 28, 2017

Although there were several West Ham fans who are unconvinced and unsure about a move for the England international…

@BBCSport @prideofeastldn barkley is well overrated and wouldn’t be worth nowhere near as much as Everton would want for him

— Wayne Phillips (@West_Ham_Wayne) May 28, 2017

@PW57WHU Agreed. I think barkley is a good player but he is way inconsistent,sigurdson produces year after year.

— DoleScrounger (@RemyWhu) May 28, 2017

Please buy him @SpursOfficial! https://t.co/Oh3ZLwdWSK

— West Ham Central (@WestHam_Central) May 27, 2017

@WestHam_Central @SpursOfficial @HotspurRelated just a poor mans lanzini

— pedro obiang (@JamesWHUFC91) May 27, 2017

Nothing is wrong with him but he plays in Lanzinis position and would be on double Lanzinis wage. That is just a bad move all together IMO. https://t.co/RNnu7hWcVx

— Hammer&Talk (@hammerandtalk) May 28, 2017