Chelsea have reportedly joined the queue to land Everton playmaker Ross Barkley. A number of clubs including Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have already expressed their interest in the young midfielder.
A new deal has been offered to the Everton academy product who has one year left on his contract. But Barkley has been delaying the proceedings as he doesn’t want to sign a new contract as of now. Gaffer Ronald Koeman has already served him an ultimatum of a week and should he choose to decline, Everton will be ready to listen to offers for the 23-year-old this summer.
After Spurs and Arsenal Antonio Conte also seems to be knocked over by his fine-tune performances this season and now wants to add him to his team to bolster his attacking department. The reason Barkey has attracted Conte’s attention is that the midfielder is only 23 years of age.
Barkley has been an integral part of the Toffees squad since 2013 and has developed into a much better player. But he still has to learn a lot and the guidance of an avid tactician like Conte can see him learn the pros and cons of football, allowing him to mold himself into a finished product.
Also, Chelsea have a dearth of homegrown players. The contingent of English players is very low and Premier League has a very strict rule when it comes to local talent. Barkley can also add to this prospect to strengthen Chelsea’s quota of homegrown players.
A large number of Spurs supporters are against Barkley’s move to the Lane and given Chelsea’s experience they are very good while it comes to do business. Conte has done wonders for the Blues in his maiden season in the Premier League and has guided the team to the League title. He will be given a handsome transfer kitty to spend in the summer and he should not mind spending £35 million for this English international.
A couple of players are expected to leave the Stamford Bridge in this summer including Cesc Fabregas. The Spaniard has had some problems as he has fallen down the pecking order but lately, he has chipped in with some useful contributions and has also earned accolades for his performance. The fact that Barkley can play in a number of positions hasn’t gone unnoticed by Conte. Koeman deployed him deeper in the midfield but he can also show his tricks on the wings and can be Conte’s back up plans for a number of positions.
