Ross Barkley signs with OGC Nice in Ligue 1

Ross Barkley left Chelsea by mutual consent last week, but he didn’t stay a free agent too long, signing with OGC Nice in Ligue 1 this weekend.

He’s the latest former Premier League player to land on the Côte d’Azure, joining the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Kasper Schmeichel, and Nicolas Pépé at the club this summer. Former Chelsea goalkeeping prospect Marcin Bułka is another familiar name who arrived recently. Nice are owned by Ineos, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s company. Ratcliffe, who is one of Great Britain’s richest people, was named as a potential buyer for Chelsea and was more recently linked with a possible bid for Manchester United as well.

Barkley, 28, left Chelsea after a 4.5-year spell, wherein he managed just 100 appearances, scoring 12 goals and providing 11 assists. While he remained a peripheral figure with us, even going on loan to Aston Villa for a season, he did win the FA Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Europa League during his stay at Stamford Bridge.

Best of luck to Ross on his new journey!