Sources close to the Mirror have revealed that Chelsea are looking to get rid of Ross Barkley ahead of the fast-approaching season.
The 28-year-old, who is thought to be paid over £100,000 per week, moved to Chelsea from Everton for £15million in January 2018 and was tipped for big things. However, the former England international has struggled to make an impact under various Blues’ bosses.
Barkley spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan at Aston Villa but the Midlands club turned down the option to make the move permanent after an unremarkable campaign. He returned to Stamford Bridge last season but played only six times in the Premier League, starting just once.
Thomas Tuchel’s lack of faith in Barkley comes as no surprise given he stated the midfielder had a "long way to go" to succeed in his Chelsea side.
Discussing the Merseyside native last season, Tuchel said: "Normally you expect - and this is not a secret - somebody to go on loan from Chelsea to Aston Villa that he is the main guy at Aston Villa and then he comes back and takes the next steps.
"This has not happened, so maybe there is a long way to go, but you never know. He has the ability, so let's see. It's never too late and I will give him the support that I can. We need to wait and have patience."
But as he enters the final 12 months of his Chelsea deal, it seems as though Barkley is surplus to requirements under Tuchel. Villa and former side Everton are two of the clubs who have been offered the opportunity to sign him this summer.
Steven Gerrard already boasts a host of top attacking talent at Villa Park, making it tough to see how Barkley would cement himself in a role. Within the favoured 4-3-3 formation that the former Liverpool captain tends to employ, there’s no room for a No.10. Meanwhile, the likes of John McGinn and exciting youngster Jacob Ramsay usually operate in the No.8 roles and appear certain to get the nod ahead of Barkley.
A more viable option would be a return to boyhood club Everton. A product of the Toffees academy, Barkley burst onto the scene in the 2013/14 campaign, hitting a beautiful strike from distance in the club’s 2-2 opening-day draw with Norwich City.
The youngster went on to register 10 goal contributions (seven goals, three assists) across 37 league and FA Cup appearances that year.
In the seasons that followed, he went on to become an important cog under Roberto Martinez, expertly linking a conservative midfield pivot of Gareth Barry and James McCarthy with a menacing attack including players like Romelu Lukaku and Kevin Mirallas.
Unsurprisingly, he remained one of the key figures under the stewardship of Martinez’s successor Ronald Koeman, who joined the club in the summer of 2016. Things began to turn sour between both parties, though, as the Barkley showed a reluctance to sign an extension on his contract, which was edging towards expiration in 2018.
The saga raged on until the final day of the summer transfer window in 2017, when Barkley was primed to join Chelsea for £35m. However, the deal fell through at the final hour. Some Everton fans hoped this was due to a last-minute change of heart, but the breakdown was actually the result of a failed fitness test.
Barkley returned and rehabilitated at Everton’s expense only to finally make the move to Stamford Bridge in the following January for £20m less than what Everton would have received six months earlier.
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Although this means there is bad blood between Barkley and the Everton fan base, there’s every chance the midfielder could redeem himself at Goodison Park if a move materialises. The Toffees are lacking creative profiles and it’s something that Frank Lampard will be eager to address.
He attempted to do so shortly after his arrival in January, signing Donny van de Beek on loan from Manchester United and bringing in Dele Alli from Tottenham. The former struggled to make an impact as he plagued by fitness issues, while the latter has still yet to find his feet on Merseyside.
Lampard will need more creativity in his side next season, especially following the departure of Richarlison to Tottenham. Early indications based on pre-season activity suggest Lampard may be looking to play variations of a 3-4-3 next season, which obviously doesn't have room for a traditional No.10 type.
That being said, one of the two central midfield positions could be ideal for Barkley - and Everton. If partnered with a more robust presence, such as Allan or Abdoulaye Doucoure, the midfielder could be given the freedom to get on the ball, drive up the pitch and offer a real threat in the attacking third, all of which were key traits of his game when he was at his best during his first spell at Goodison Park.
