Chelsea loan army: Keep, loan or sell? Ross Barkley (Part 19)

In Part 18 of this series, I broke down Lewis Baker’s career at Chelsea and discussed what his future in football looks like. For those who haven’t read the introductory piece to this series, a different player will be the subject of a new article every day. I began with goalkeepers and am currently in the process of working my way up the pitch, with each position group being sorted in order by the way in which they appear on the club’s website.

As I move on with the loan army series, I continue the deep dive into the midfield loanees with Ross Barkley. Barkley has spent a few seasons away on loan throughout his football career, but many people associate him with his two parent clubs, Chelsea and Everton. Once one of the most promising prospects in English football, the midfielder is now struggling for starting time in a mid-table side. While we try to understand the reason for this, we first have to give context to his situation.

More from Chelsea FC Loan Watch

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• Chelsea loan Army: How Ian Maatsen has got on at Burnley
• What’s next for Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher as asking price revealed?
• The next man up for Chelsea: Left back Ian Maatsen
• The next man up for Chelsea: Center forward Mason Burstow

What does Ross Barkley’s Chelsea career look like?

Born on Merseyside, Barkley’s football career began at nearby Everton in 2005. He was a phenom from the beginning. After joining at the age of 11, Barkley spent five seasons with the Toffees’ academy before he got the call up. Unfortunately, the 16-year-old broke his leg in a collision during an England U19 match prior to his jump to the senior side. Barkley went on to recover in time for the start of the 2011/12 campaign though.

It was here that Barkley first began earning praise for his ability. Tim Cahill, amongst other players and pundits, dubbed the youngster one of England’s most talented young stars. He impressed early on, winning the Man of the Match award in his professional debut. It took Barkley just half a season to earn a four-and-a-half year extension with Everton. His time with the Toffees was limited the first go around though as he was sent off to Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United on short-term loans. Barkley appeared in 17 Championship clashes for the two clubs combined, scoring four goals and tallying an assist.

Barkley officially announced himself to English football during the following Premier League campaign. He racked up eight goal contributions (six goals, two assists) over the course of 34 games in the league. Everton finished fifth and it’s no secret that Barkley was one of the main reasons for the successful season.

The next three seasons would prove to be Barkley’s most successful to date. He became one of England’s most prolific and creative midfielders from 2014-17. Barkley was regularly producing highlight reel plays and earning more praise from those associated with the Premier League. He managed 20 goals and 23 assists across 123 contests during those three years with the Toffees. Injury issues once again kept him sidelined though, following his breakout run.

Barkley’s deal was nearing the end and seeking a new challenge, he expressed his desire to leave Everton. Chelsea was keen on signing the midfielder during deadline day in the summer of 2017, but the midfielder’s lack of match fitness prevented the deal from going through. As Barkley remained sidelined with a hamstring issue, the two clubs worked out a transfer fee for the upcoming period. Barkley joined the Blues in the winter of 2018 during Antonio Conte’s final season in charge. Another injury limited him to just four appearances during his maiden season with Chelsea, but he would go on to play a much bigger role under the next manager.

Maurizio Sarri named Barkley as one of his favorite—and most important—players early in his stint as manager. Sarri utilized the Englishman as an advanced midfielder in his trio sat in the middle of the park. Barkley would go on to play 48 games under the Italian, despite the presence of Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic and N’Golo Kante. Unfortunately, Frank Lampard did not see Barkley in the same light.

Barkley was once again out of the starting squad during the 2019/20 season, this time due to him falling out of favor with the manager. The midfielder still managed to get 1,700 minutes under his belt, but a majority of those were substitute appearances. He was subsequently sent out on loan to Aston Villa ahead of the 2020/21 campaign. Barkley has done well for Dean Smith’s side thus far, aside from another pesky knock. He started the season with two goals in his first two Premier League games as Villa earned massive victories over Liverpool and Leicester City. Barkley went the distance in every game up until his hamstring injury. He’s failed to break back into the starting XI since, but overall, this season can be considered a success for the England international.

This begs the question: what does Chelsea do with Barkley this summer?

Verdict: Sell, but keep if Thomas Tuchel sees potential in him

Being the massive Barkley fan that I am, this is a tough one. He’s a super talented footballer, but throughout the years, various injuries have taken their tolls. Luckily for the Blues, they signed Barkley to a low-risk, high-reward deal when he joined the club for just £15 million. Barkley’s eventual transfer fee—as well as the demanded loan fee from Aston Villa this season—Chelsea is set to profit off the 27-year-old’s time at Stamford Bridge. Barkley may not have had the desired impact in SW6, but he did score some important goals and make the club money in the end.

Overall, a successful transfer who should be sold this summer to make way for those under him. This is unless Thomas Tuchel sees Barkley as a potential piece to his long-term midfield puzzle. In that case, Barkley’s contract runs through the end of the 2022/23 season, so the Blues could afford to keep him around next year.

Remember to check back with The Pride of London each and every day as I dive into the largely uncharted world of Chelsea’s famous loan army. Part 20’s subject is midfielder Danny Drinkwater.