According to a report by Daily Mirror, Chelsea are desperate to get rid of midfielder Ross Barkley and in a bid to do so, they have offered him to Aston Villa and Everton.
Ross Barkley joined Chelsea back in 2018 but the midfielder has been a major disappointment ever since moving to Stamford Bridge. He’s spent most of his time out on loan and last season, he featured in only six Premier League games.
He’s of no use to Thomas Tuchel but he’s still earning £100,000 per week(as per Spotrac) so the manager is eager to free up these wages to be able to accommodate the new arrivals. Tuchel has a host of midfielders at his disposal and the return of Conor Gallagher has made things even tougher for Barkley.
However, no major club have shown any interest in signing Ross Barkley which is probably why they have approached the likes of Aston Villa and Everton.
🚨 Chelsea's English player Ross Barkley has been offered to Everton. Negotiations will begin if Frank Lampard Decides to proceed with the player. 🏴 🔵 #CFC 🔵#EFC pic.twitter.com/WKTVXcDknu
— Ekrem KONUR (@Ekremkonur) July 19, 2022
Will Aston Villa or Everton be interested in signing Ross Barkley?
Ross Barkley started his senior career with Everton back in 2010 and he had spent close to seven years with the Toffees. He has also spent time with Aston Villa, first as a U20 player and then on loan during the 2020/21 campaign.
The midfielder has fond memories of both these clubs but we are not sure if either of them would want to take him back. Currently, Aston Villa do not need a centre-attacking midfielder so it’s highly unlikely that Gerrard will want to bring him on board.
Everton, however, could use a player like Ross Barkley despite his poor form in recent seasons. The Toffees are rebuilding their squad this summer and after Fabian Delph and Sigurdsson’s, someone like Barkley can slot right in. This decision though will come with a major risk because the midfielder played only 179 minutes of league football last campaign.
His contract expires in 2023 while his current valuation is £10 million and this could be another stumbling block in the midfielder’s sale.
Based on his recent form, no club will be willing to pay so much for the 28-year-old so either Chelsea will have to sell him out for cheap or they will have to agree on a loan deal with an obligation to buy next summer.
