Marcus Bent has advised Everton to seal Ross Barkley’s return to the club and believes the midfielder would quickly become a key player in Rafa Benitez’s side.
Barkley left Goodison Park for Premier League rivals Chelsea in a £15million deal three-and-a-half years ago, having pushed for a move away from Merseyside.
However, the switch to Stamford Bridge has not gone to plan as Barkley has made just 86 appearances for Chelsea and spent last season on loan at Aston Villa.
While a hamstring injury restricted the 27-year-old to just 27 appearances in all competitions at Villa, Barkley is on the radar of several Premier League clubs after falling out of favour at Chelsea.
Everton, who are looking to bolster their squad under the stewardship of new manager Benitez, have been joined in the race for the England international midfielder’s services by West Ham United and Newcastle United.
But Bent would like to see Barkley snub the Hammers and Magpies in favour of a return to familiar surroundings.
When asked whether Barkley would walk straight into Everton’s starting line-up, Bent exclusively told The Transfer Tavern: “I think so, because we need a player who is quick, skilful and can move us forward.
“Bringing him back in would be taking a chance and he would need to hit the ground running.
“He is an asset and someone who I feel is skilful, and he’s mature now.”