Lampard facing Dele Alli 2.0 with shock Everton swoop for “woeful” £100k-p/w dud - opinion

After what proved to be something of a car-crash campaign for Everton last time out, the hope among supporters would have been to see their club make significant investment in the playing squad in order to spark a drastic improvement upon that narrow relegation escape.

At present, though, the Goodison Park faithful are seemingly preparing themselves for another survival scrap next term, having only brought in former Burnley stalwart James Tarkowski on a free transfer so far this summer.

That astute, albeit uninspiring, addition has also been further overshadowed by the departure of talisman Richarlison to Tottenham Hotspur, with the Toffees yet to invest any of his reported £60m transfer fee.

Amid that stark lack of transfer action and the dire need for new additions, one name who has emerged as a potential option is that of Ross Barkley, with the 28-year-old having been tipped to make a return back to where it all began for him.

As per The Mirror, Frank Lampard and co have been offered the chance to sign the England international this summer from Chelsea, with the west London outfit seemingly desperate to cut ties with a player who has largely been surplus to requirements during his time at Stamford Bridge.

While once an impressive emerging star for the Merseysiders, a reunion this summer with Barkley may not go down too well with supporters, with journalist Paul Brown suggesting there could be a “massive backlash” if the midfielder is to make a shock homecoming.

The local lad irked his former club due to the nature of his departure in January 2018, as the Toffees lost out on a £35m transfer fee the previous summer as the playmaker reportedly changed his mind over the deal, only to then join Chelsea for just £15m a few