Chelsea are keen to end their relationship with out-of-favour English midfielder Ross Barkley.
According to The Sun, Premier League giants Chelsea are keen to force Ross Barkley out of the club given that the Englishman is out of favour at Stamford Bridge.
The former Everton ace moved to Chelsea in 2018 and has received several opportunities to prove his worth. Barkley has, however, failed to establish himself as a first-team regular, and a season-long loan in 2020-21 at Aston Villa has done him little favours.
At 28, the Englishman is in the prime of his career and is nowhere close to featuring regularly for the Blues. Thomas Tuchel has not played him this season, and if things go as per the club’s plans, Barkley will have played his last game for Chelsea.
The Blues are heavily linked with a move for Everton sensation Anthony Gordon. The 21-year-old is also keen to move to Stamford Bridge, and his potential arrival could spell the end for Barkley in west London. Barkley is a financial liability to the club thanks to his mammoth £200,000-a-weekly wages. With just a year to go on his current deal, it makes little sense for the club to permit the 28-year-old to see it out.
With just days to go, there is a lack of concrete interest from other clubs in the Englishman. This does not dissuade Chelsea, who are ready to reach an agreement with the player, letting him walk. While the severance will not be cheap, Blues owner Todd Boehly could yet make an offer.
With an overhaul of sorts taking place at Chelsea, it makes sense for the club to cut short the players who have no role to play and are also financial liabilities. Barkley has failed to repay the club’s faith in him and has more often than not been found lacking in terms of performances. With him no longer in the reckoning for the first-team squad, it makes little sense for the club to continue paying him his mammoth wages for a year.
Barkley is also better off seeking a move elsewhere. He still has years of football left in him and could make a late attempt to grab Gareth Southgate’s attention ahead of the World Cup. A parting of the ways could be the best way forward for both sides.
