Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly won the race to sign Everton midfielder Ross Barkley during the January transfer window.
Barkley has less than 12 months remaining on his contract at Goodison Park and on deadline day, the playmaker came close to joining Chelsea before opting to remain on Merseyside.
However, according to the Daily Star, Chelsea will miss out on Barkley at the start of 2018 when Spurs re-enter the race for the player's signature.
While Spurs were allegedly against meeting the 23-year-old's asking price during the summer, the North London outfit intend to swoop for his services for a cut-price fee midway through the campaign.
On Saturday, Barkley used social media to deny suggestions that he had only rejected a switch to Chelsea after completing a medical, instead stating that he had opted to take his time over his next move.
Barkley is not expected to play again until the winter as he continues to recover from injury.
