According to reports from the Daily Telegraph, Tottenham Hotspur have joined the race to secure the services of Arsenal target Ross Barkley.

Ross Barkley managed to impress many after he enjoyed a breakthrough campaign with Everton back in 2013/14 and many had touted at the time that the attacking midfielder would go on to become a star in the Premier League as well as for the England national team.

Fast forward three years on though, Barkley has not quite been able to match his hype and although the 23-year-old remains an extremely talented young player, he will have to add consistency into his game in order to fulfill the wonderful potential he possesses.

The current campaign has been a difficult one for Barkley as he has been in and out of the Everton starting lineup under new manager Ronald Koeman and there is currently widespread speculation regarding the long term future of the attacker at Goodison Park – especially as his contract is set to expire in 2018.

Despite his recent struggles at Everton, Barkley could prove to be a useful option for a host of clubs in the current Premier League top six and Arsenal has been mentioned as a prospective destination for the England international as the futures of Mesut Ozil, Jack Wilshere and Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain at the Emirates Stadium remains in doubt.

Arsenal are not the only North London team interested in signing Barkley though as the Daily Telegraph have gone on to reveal that even Tottenham Hotspur have entered the race to sign the Everton star.

Arsenal and Tottenham battling it out to sign Barkley

Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino is in the market to bring in a new creative player and the Argentine tactician had identified Crystal Palace man Wilfried Zaha as his main target this summer.

However, Tottenham were rebuffed in their attempt to sign Zaha and the Telegraph state that Spurs are now considering a move for Barkley instead. Everton are certain to be demanding a huge transfer fee for Barkley but due to his contractual situation, Tottenham have viewed him as a realistic target.

With Tottenham ramping up their pursuit of Barkley, Arsenal will also need to step up their efforts and look to prove their fierce rivals competition in the race to sign the talented Everton star.