Ross Barkley has reportedly put off his move to join Chelsea this summer after undergoing a medical for the Blues
According to a report by The Mirror, Ross Barkley has cancelled his move to Chelsea after harbouring second thoughts during his medical. The same report goes to state that Barkley made this decision despite Everton and Chelsea agreeing on a fee for the midfielder.
A deal worth £30 million was believed to go through on Deadline Day, but now it looks like the midfielder will stay back with Everton for another season. While Chelsea could launch another attempt in January, for now, Barkley appears to be in no mind to make the switch to Stamford Bridge.
After selling Nemanja Matic to Manchester United, the Blues were keen to add more home-grown players to the squad and Barkley was been identified as a potential signing. Conte appeared to be quite interested in the player even though Barkley remained majorly inconsistent.
Ross Barkley blew hot and cold in the 2015/16 campaign wherein he scored 12 goals and assisted 11 in 48 appearances across all competitions. The decline in form saw a strain in his relationship with Ronald Koeman which led to the manager criticizing him for his inability to improve tactically.
Last season though, Barkley proved to be a lot better in several other aspects which goes to show that he is undoubtedly talented. His versatility to play at the heart of midfield makes him an asset as well, as he has shown on several occasions at Everton.
When in form though, Barkley can prove to be a value addition to any squad. The Chelsea boss has N’Golo Kante, Cesc Fabregas, and new signings Tiemoue Bakayoko and Danny Drinkwater as his midfield options currently. There is the possibility that Barkley could have been surplus to requirement, which prompted him to rethink his move.
Regardless of whether Barkley joins Chelsea in January or chooses to continue at Goodison Park, the player will need to work on his consistency, because that is one area he has struggled to excel in. Considering the amount of midfield options at Conte’s disposal currently, his decision to continue with Everton seems like the ideal one.