Even amidst Chelsea’s injury and (COVID) infection crisis, Ross Barkley has hardly featured in games of import, having made just one (1) Premier League start all season and just one (1) Premier League appearance since early November, a 25-minute cameo against Everton.
He’s also started one Champions League match (the last group game) and two League Cup matches (including a team-worst performance midweek), totaling just over 400 minutes so far this season (across 11 appearances) — and one might argue that might actually still be more than his level of involvement was expected to be in the summer.
In any case, that’s a long-winded way of saying that Ross Barkley remains mostly surplus to requirements at Chelsea, and with just 18 months left on his contract, that’s unlikely to improve. Just as in the summer, moving on to a new team would probably be in his best interest, and Chelsea’s.
One possibility for the 28-year-old is Burnley, who had been linked before, though apparently remain only “second favorites”. It’s unclear who the first favorites may be, though the Yorkshire Post’s report mentions Newcastle United, who would make sense, and Everton, who wouldn’t.
Perhaps one of those teams will indeed try to work out a deal in January?
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