Chelsea transfer news: Do the Blues need Ross Barkley?

Ross Barkley is back in training after a long injury layoff. Should the talented Everton midfielder move to Antonio Conte’s Chelsea this January?

As he entered the pitch at Everton’s Finch Farm training ground, Ross Barkley received a round of applause from his teammates and the coaching staff. It is a surprising detail given his failure to sign a new contract with his boyhood club, and a move to Chelsea may be in the works.

Barkley appeared set to join the Blues last August. Deadline day was particularly eventful and saw sensational (i.e., incorrect) reports that he had completed a medical for Chelsea before backing out of the move. The exact details are murky, but it is crystal clear the English international is ready to move away from Merseyside.

The most obvious signal is the fact he only has six months left on his current deal at Everton. This is not a negotiation tactic; this is an exit plan. Antonio Conte has complained all season about the lack of depth in his Chelsea squad, and Barkley is available. Chelsea fans, though, are asking whether the Blues really need him. After all, he had the chance to join the club in the summer and chose not to.

Chelsea offers more function in attack than flair. Assuming Barkley wants a move to west London and the club would have him, he would add creativity to the squad. He is a playmaker of a totally different mould with a swaggering, unorthodox style. In full flow, he is a joy to watch as he powers through the midfield with the ball at his feet.

Willian and Pedro play a more advanced role than Barkley, but his average of 1.3 shots in the box last season betters the numbers of the Chelsea pair this campaign. Barkley is a player capable of surging forward from deep positions to arrive late in the box. Chelsea has needed a player like that since Frank Lampard left the club.

That said, Barkley still has a long way to go until he is in the same category as the Chelsea legend. Ronald Koeman was unable to get the best out of him during his time in charge of Everton. His poor positional sense, lack of awareness and lack of work rate frustrated the Dutch manager. It is difficult to see Conte, a notorious taskmaster, sanctioning a move for Everton’s number eight.

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While clearly an exciting and talented footballer, Chelsea should not sign him this January. The fans do not want him after he snubbed the club last August, he is not a player Conte would want in his team and Chelsea already has a big, powerful number eight for the future in Ruben Loftus-Cheek. The new England international is out on loan currently at Crystal Palace, and it is difficult to see how the club could accommodate both.

The best move for Barkley would be to put pen to paper on a new contract and stay in Liverpool. If playing time is what he is after, he is more likely to find it at Everton than Chelsea. With Farhad Moshiri’s investment of capital, the Toffees are also able to ensure his newly found loyalty is well-compensated.

Koeman may not have been fond of him, but Sam Allardyce has form in creating sides built around unorthodox playmakers. Big Sam’s Bolton side that qualified for Europe in 2004/05 revolved around the maverick talent of Jay Jay Okocha. Okocha was a brilliant entertainer, and it is possible to see glimpses that same showmanship in Barkley. His celebration before he even scored against Bournemouth last February is evidence of that.

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Can you see Conte enjoying that? He would spontaneously combust into a fireball of seething rage. Better for Barkley to stay put than risk that.

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