Everton has given Ross Barkley a May deadline to agree upon a new contract.

Barkley has 14 months remaining on his current deal.

Everton will sell Barkley this summer if no deal is reached.

Tottenham Hotspur have frequently been linked to Barkley.

“I’m not involved in the negotiations for his contract but I know the board is talking to his agent,” Ronald Koeman said. “It’s not about one week but we need to know the answer before the end of the season. We will offer him the contract that is good, what is normal for what the player is and for his improvement this season.

“Everton is the best place for him to continue. I spoke to him a few weeks ago and he said his ambition is the Champions League. I told him I have the same ambition. He’s going in the right direction at Everton. He’s a kid of the club, a kid of the town and in my opinion there’s no better place for him.

“The Champions League is a normal ambition for players. Everyone would like to play Champions League, including the managers and the fans. For us the next step is Europe and maybe if we finish fifth or sixth it’s perfect because then we don’t play any qualifying games [for the Europa League]. Everyone can see the difference here between this season and last season with the new signings, talk of a new stadium and the direction the club is going in.”