Eni Aluko contemplates suing Joey Barton

ITV pundits Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward are reportedly taking legal action against Joey Barton over the former footballer's controversial social media posts.

Barton sparked fury earlier this month by comparing Aluko and Ward to the serial killers Fred and Rose West.

He made the comparison as he questioned their legitimacy as pundits after they covered Crystal Palace's FA Cup draw with Everton.

The Wests murdered 12 women and young girls over 20 years. Fred took his own life before facing trial while Rose was sentenced to 10 life terms. She remains in prison at age 70.

According to the Telegraph, Aluko and Ward have now sought legal advice in response to Barton's posts.

He savaged Eni Aluko for working on Everton's game against Crystal Palace - saying she 'can't even kick a ball properly'

'For Joey Barton, an ex-professional player with a significant social media presence, to target two of our pundits, Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward, with such vindictive remarks based on gender and to invoke the names of serial killers in doing so is contemptible and shameful on his part,' ITV said in a statement in response to his barb.

Barton responded to their post with a foul-mouthed tirade. He wrote: 'Shut up you f***ing idiots. Keep them off the tele. They’re ruining the game for every one of us.

'It’s what happens when you force underqualified, underprepared, tokenistic people onto us.

'I will be calling them all serial killers from now on.'

The 41-year-old then renewed his attacks on Aluko, adding 'How is she even talking about Men's football? She can't even kick a ball properly. Your coverage of the game EFC last night took it to a new low. Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward, the Fred and Rose West of football commentary.'

He later posted further abuse aimed at Aluko, comparing the former England international to Joseph Stalin and Pol Pot.

'On reflection, I feel I’ve been a tad harsh on Eni Aluko by comparing her to Rose West,' Barton wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

'Had a bit of time to consider the impact of my words after @itvfootball big statement.

'She’s clearly in the Joseph Stalin/Pol Pot category. She’s murdered hundreds of thousands of football fans' ears in the last few years. Meritocracy Rules!'

Stalin was the supreme ruler of the Soviet Union for a quarter of a century, including throughout World War II, and is known for his totalitarian communist regime.

Pol Pot, meanwhile, was another communist dictator who ruled Cambodia as Prime Minister of Democratic Kampuchea between 1976 and 1979.

Britain's sports minister Stuart Andrew last week confirmed Barton could face Government action over his controversial posts.

While Barton's rants appear an attempt to gain publicity ahead of the launch of his podcast, Andrew insisted he must be held accountable.

'These are dangerous comments that open the floodgates for abuse and that’s not acceptable,' Andrew said at a Department for Culture, Media and Sport select committee.

'I’m slightly wary that these sorts of people want the oxygen and I don’t want to fuel that.'

He added that he would 'happily' speak to social media companies in regards to Barton's rant and noted broadcast regulator Ofcom was also obliged to issue guidance under the new Online Safety Act.

Andrew's statement came in response to by Sunderland MP Julie Elliott, who described Barton's posts as 'very disturbing' and questioned why Meta - the company that operates Facebook - would host Barton's podcast.