Ex-Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley is likely to “end up in the SPFL” with a move expected to take place in “the coming days” according to journalist Fraser Fletcher.

Both Celtic and Rangers have been credited with an interest in the Englishman, who has been capped 33 times for his country, and Fletcher says there are plenty of people “within the game” who feel a switch to Scotland is on the cards:

There is a now a general belief amoung many within the game that Ross Barkley will end up in the SPFL in the coming days. pic.twitter.com/nZ9ifyi0TO

— Fraser Fletcher (@FrazFletcher) August 30, 2022

Fletcher’s record on transfer stories this summer has been pretty sketchy, to say the least, so it’s probably best to take this information with a large pinch of salt.

Barkley’s wages alone would make any deal difficult to negotiate. Combined with the fact that Celtic are not exactly short of options in midfield, especially after the arrival of Sead Haksabanovic from Rubin Kazan, you would have to put the chances of Barkley making the switch to Parkhead as pretty low at this stage.