Chelsea have terminated Ross Barkley's contract by mutual consent. (GETTY Images)
Chelsea loanee Ross Barkley has rediscovered his best form on loan at Aston Villa. The English international has so far made 12 appearances for the Villans, scoring thrice and assisting one more. (h/t Transfermarkt)
Frank Lampard followed the midfielder’s progress with interest, even indicating that he had a future at Stamford Bridge. However, the Blues legend’s dismissal appears to have changed the cluhb’s stance on the matter.
According to Eurosport, Aston Villa now have been given a boost in their pursuit to land the 27-year-old.
With the likes of Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner and Mason Mount all ahead of him, Barkley will face much competition for a spot in the Blues lineup. While he has scored some key goals for us, he has never developed into the dynamic player we hoped he would.
It can be argued that Bakley is a player we can afford to lose given the riches at our disposal. With his contract at the bridge running until 2023, the Blues do hold leeway when it comes to negotiations.
Villa boss Dean Smith recently revealed that there were no negotiations concerning the player’s future in January. However, that could be attributed to Lampard still being in charge. Tuchel took over towards the end of the month and has quickly gone about assessing his squad.
The likes of Havertz and Werner have struggled since they signed for the Blues last summer. Tuchel will now be expected to get the best out of them, meaning they could be set for more opportunities going forward.
Barkley has been a decent backup player for Chelsea. As things stand, it is difficult to see him become more than that and will be best served by seeking a move elsewhere. An amicable parting would be best for both parties.
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