Report: Manchester United, Chelsea to battle for Ross Barkley

The form of Ross Barkley will reportedly trigger a £20m bidding war between Chelsea and Manchester United for the Everton midfielder's signature.

Barkley has impressed for the Toffees so far this season and earned a call-up to Roy Hodgson's England squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine.

According to The Express, several of the Premier League's elite are willing to gamble on the 19-year-old's potential by launching a bid either in January or next summer.

Former Everton manager David Moyes is still looking to address a shortage of creativity in central midfield, despite recruiting Marouane Fellaini from the Goodison Park outfit.

Meanwhile, Chelsea may see Barkley, who featured against the Blues in their 1-0 defeat on Merseyside on Saturday, as a long-term replacement for 35-year-old midfield stalwart Frank Lampard.