HOWARD WEBB wants to bring Greg Barkey with him from MLS to improve VAR standards in the Premier League.
After six years in charge of MLS refs Stateside, the former Prem official will oversee the top four tiers as chief refereeing officer when he replaces Mike Riley at the PGMOL later this year.
And SunSport understands Webb is keen on Barkey, who is the pro referees manager of video review operations in the States.
VAR has come under fierce criticism in the Prem once again this season.
And an emergency review has been conducted after ‘scandalous’ and ’embarrassing’ blunders earlier this month.
Refs’ chiefs were effectively forced to admit video ref rulings to disallow West Ham and Newcastle goals were wrong.
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Hammers chief David Moyes branded VAR official Jarred Gillett unfit for duty after confronting referee Andy Madley when his side had a late equaliser ruled out at Chelsea.
While Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta also moaned after VAR Lee Mason KO’d their opening goal in the 3-1 defeat to Manchester United.
And Webb, who officiated the 2010 World Cup final, is keen to bring in someone with VAR experience when he returns to the UK so Barkey has become an option.
The MLS will not want to let Barkey go due to his VAR expertise but if a switch does materialise then there will be scrutiny on the position of Neil Swarbrick, who is the current head of VAR at the PGMOL.
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The Prem have no VAR officials going to November’s World Cup in Qatar while USA official Armando Villarreal has been selected.
Barkey has been with pro referees since 2015 where initially he was manager of assistant referees before he became manager of video review operations in January 2018.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
