Ross Barkley slammed by Guillem Balague for moving to Chelsea for one controversial reason
GUILLEM BALAGUE thinks Ross Barkley joined Chelsea over Tottenham because they offered him more money.
Barkley, 24, yesterday signed a five-and-a-half-year deal with last season's Premier League champions.
That's despite interest from Spurs where there would have been an increased likelihood of first-team football ahead of the World Cup.
The decision has irked Balague who hit out at the England international in the Sky Sports Transfer Talk podcast.
Balague, who has close links to the club after writing a book with Mauricio Pochettino, said: "I'm pretty sure Spurs were there or thereabouts in terms of Ross Barkley as he fits the mould of what they want to get.
"Ross had a decision to make - do you want to be challenged by someone saying you must improve, you're not good enough as you are, you need to change things - I'm talking about Pochettino.
"This is a challenge that has to do with do you want to improve, do you want to see yourself doing stuff you perhaps don't want to do, a lot of things that make him a better player, but with less money.
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"Then Chelsea came with the money, boom, without the guarantee of being a regular. Where's he going to play? It was a decision to make. I'm disappointed."
Spurs have a tighter wage structure than Chelsea and they notoriously don't break the bank on wages under the watchful eye of chairman Daniel Levy.
Balague continued: "Do they have to pay more wages? Clearly yes.
"Should they pay more wages? Clearly not - because that would be using money they didn't have and changing the policy they've had all these years.
"There's a time they will be able to pay that, when the stadium is in full force, but honestly is there much difference between £120,000 and £160,000-a-week? Is there, really, when you're developing as a player? I don't think there is.
"You can see 17 out of the last 22 to make their debut with England have been in the hands of Pochettino.
"We are saying he improves players. There's a situation between Antonio Conte and Chelsea of tension and you don't even know if he will be there.
"What is the progression? What if the next guy who comes, and it won't be Diego Simeone by the way, What happens if the next guy who comes says you're not giving me enough, what about that?
"Why not ignore the money and go for something that will make you better?
"What is he going to add to Chelsea by the way, who are the champions of England."
