Marseille's Joey Barton, centre, makes his presence felt against Paris Saint-Germain and David Beckham, right, last season. Photograph: Michel Euler/APThe Queens Park Rangers midfielder Joey Barton is prepared to make a significant financial "sacrifice" to be able to play for Everton, according to his agent Willie McKay, but Roberto Martínez has been warned against signing the scouser by Neville Southall, who compared the controversial 30-year-old to Forrest Gump.
Barton spent last season on loan at Marseille and appears to have no future at Loftus Road, especially on reported wages of £70,000 a week, after their relegation to the Championship. But his salary has put off the French club from making a move to sign him permanently and McKay is exploring other options in an attempt to find a new club.
The Huyton-born Barton supported Everton as a boy and on Wednesday morning tweeted "Once a blue.." with his agent admitting they have approached Martínez about an opportunity.
"Obviously his package with QPR is pretty big for Marseille's terms really," McKay told TalkSport. "Joey said there was only one club he would make a sacrifice for and it would be Everton and I made that call to Martínez.
"That is the club he loves. I have approached them and said Joey would love to have Everton on his CV. Fair play to him he said he would lose money to go to Everton – and not many professionals would do that."
McKay claims the club's new manager, who is in the market for a central midfielder, is an admirer of Barton. "Roberto Martínez said he likes him as a player and he also spoke to [Martínez's assistant] Graeme Jones, who loves him as a player," he added. "Anything can happen in football. It could happen."
But Southall, interviewed later on the same radio station, said: "I think they have already got a kitman. What is he going to add to Everton? He might be a half-decent player at times but, if he was that good, Harry Redknapp would be begging him to stay at QPR.
"I don't see how he will fit into Everton's style of play. He ain't the best passer in the world. Yes he is fit and runs up and down all day but Forrest Gump did that as well didn't he?"
Southall added: "I would rather he [Martínez] got in a young lad who is probably on less money and a better prospect in the long run so they have got until January to bed him in and see what he is like. A 30-year-old at Everton? I was hoping they were past that, unless he was a current international."
Barton responded on Twitter: "Big @NevilleSouthall has given it to me I see. Gutted, he was one of my hero's growing up. Best keeper in the world at 1 stage.
"Am not getting after him. Regardless, of what he thinks of me. I will always have the utmost respect for the player he was. #legend
"If he thinks I'm Forest Gump, sound. I'm just made up he knows who I am. I loved him as a player."
Martínez and the rest of the Everton squad are currently in San Francisco where they will kick off their pre-season games in the United States on Wednesday night against Juventus in the International Champions Cup.
David Warner has distanced himself from the views of his brother Steven REUTERS / Action Images