The England midfielder struggled to impress Everton manager Koeman in the opening months of the season but has hit top form in recent weeks.
The 23-year-old has scored five goals and provided as many assists so far this term and has reportedly attracted interest from Premier League rivals Tottenham.
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Ronald Koeman wants to keep Ross Barkley at Everton
But Koeman insists he plans on keeping the Toffees academy graduate at Goodison Park, despite his shaky start to the campaign.
"Of course we want to keep Ross because I think he is that type of player that you need in your team to create chances and score goals," Koeman told Sky Sports.
"Sometimes you have to fight with players because you want to see more productivity and it is hard for them to take criticism.
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Mauricio Pochettino reportedly wants Ross Barkley at Tottenham
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"But I think that is to get the best out of the player and I have a lot of communication with Ross and he is really a good guy.
"He likes to improve and he likes to stay at Everton and I think he is changing his football in a positive way
"That's really important for himself but also for the team."