Tuesday 24 October 2017 15:53, UK
David Unsworth believes Ross Barkley could be "an all-time great" at Everton and insists he will try to persuade the midfielder to stay at the club.
Currently out with a hamstring injury, the England international's future is in doubt as he enters the final six months of his contract at Goodison Park.
The 23-year-old refused to sign a new deal last summer and was also close to joining Chelsea on Deadline Day, but a move to Stamford Bridge did not materialise.
Unsworth, caretaker manager of Everton following Ronald Koeman's sacking, said he will speak to Barkley about signing a new contract and he feels the club should keep hold of their academy graduates.
"I would absolutely love him to stay," Unsworth said. "He is a top talent. Everton has done great for him and he has done great for Everton, but he could be one of the all-time greats here.
"I would love him to be persuaded by myself, the chairman and Farhad [Moshiri] to stay and sign a contract because we should not be losing players of his quality. He is a great player that has come through our ranks and I feel strongly that we shouldn't be losing our own players."
Asked about whether he had talked with Barkley about his next career move, Unsworth added: "I have not spoken to him about that since I spoke to the chairman yesterday, but I will be doing.
"I would love him to sit down with me and have a cup of tea and discuss the possibility of signing and staying here, because we love him and he loves Everton."