Chelsea’s latest desperation transfer target: Ross Barkley
As Chelsea scramble to appease a visibly frustrated Antonio Conte, they are reportedly turning their attention to wantaway Everton midfielder, Ross Barkley.
The Premier League season is drawing ever closer and Chelsea still don’t look ready for it. With the disastrous 2015/16 campaign fresh in the memory, Blues fans aren’t feeling overly confident given the squad’s lack of depth. In order to appease Antonio Conte, Chelsea seem to be targeting a raft of random players. Ross Barkley is the latest to be strongly linked with a West London switch.
"Chelsea have emerged as serious contenders to sign Ross Barkley from Everton this summer. The Stamford Bridge side are understood to want to add more home-grown players to their squad for next season and Barkley is high on their list of targets. – via Liverpool Echo"
The Echo is a major local publication in Liverpool and should be treated with some respect. With eyes and ears on the ground in the city, this rumour carries more weight than if it was published in other tabloids.
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Everton have revealed that Barkley is due to leave this summer, but no deal has been struck yet. Tottenham are also interested in the Englishman, but the Toffees’ valuation is much higher than what has been offered.
Barkley was not on Chelsea’s list heading into the summer and the fact he is now shows how pear-shaped the summer has gone. The Blues have lost out on a number of players and are desperately seeking anyone who can add depth.
The Everton man has failed to develop as hoped in recent seasons and is simply not worth anything over £20 million. However, Chelsea’s squad is far too thin for the busy season ahead. Having let go of Nemanja Matic and Nathaniel Chalobah, they are short of first-team ready midfielders.
The Renato Sanches pursuit has seemingly gone cold, while the Danny Drinkwater chase is something that few fans want to see concluded successfully. At this point, Barkley looks like the best option out there and that is a poor reflection on the Blues’ transfer activity.
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What do you think of Ross Barkley? Is he a good fit for Conte’s Chelsea? Or is this just panic buying at its finest? Let us know in the comments below!