In a recent interview (mentioned by the Metro), Chelsea boss Frank Lampard ruled out the possibility of Ross Barkley’s departure during this January transfer window when he said, ‘There’s no talk here of Ross Barkley going anywhere – he’s our player.
‘He’s played the last couple of games and done very well.
‘There have been certain circumstances where Ross hasn’t featured as much this year, but I’ve got a lot of faith in Ross.
‘So that was news I heard just like everyone else, but there’s absolutely no feeling towards that. I’m very happy with him.’
Why Missing Out On Barkley Will Be A Massive Blow For Moyes
The Daily Mirror had reported earlier this month that the Hammers boss David Moyes’ launched an enquiry to acquire the services of Barkley on loan for the rest of this campaign. However, Lampard’s recent comments will be a massive blow for West Ham’s hopes of bringing in a quality midfielder this winter.
The Liverpool-born talent has made 11 appearances for the Pensioners this term, scoring two goals across all competitions. He has averaged 0.9 tackles, 2.0 shots, 1.4 key passes and 1.3 dribbles per game in the Premier League (stats via whoscored). The ex-Everton prospect has also earned 33 senior caps for the England national team while registering six goals for his country thus far.
What Should Be Moyes’ Play Now?
Missing out on Barkley will be a bitter pill to swallow for Moyes as he needs to recruit some decent reinforcements if he wants to ensure his side’s safety this season. The Hammers are currently languishing in 16th place with just a point separating them from the dreaded relegation zone.
Even though Barkley would have been a terrific short-term addition to their squad, the fact remains that West Ham are in dire need for some injection of quality. Therefore, Moyes should focus on arranging deals for some of his other transfer targets in January.
Felipe Anderson has been carrying most of the creative workload while Manuel Lanzini, Andriy Yarmolenko and Roberto Snodgrass have all struggled to find consistency this season. With less than a couple of weeks left in this transfer window, the East London outfit has to figure out a way to strengthen their squad or else risk being demoted to the Championship at the end of this campaign.
