Tuchel refuses to rule out possibility of loan move for 28-year-old Chelsea midfielder

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel provides an update on the future of Ross Barkley

According to Football.London, Thomas Tuchel didn’t guarantee a Chelsea stay for Ross Barkley but suggested that the final decision hasn’t been taken on the midfielder’s future. 

After a disappointing spell at Aston Villa, Ross Barkley returned to Chelsea last summer and has been trying to get the manager’s attention. Despite getting several chances amid the injury problems of key midfielders, the English international couldn’t provide expected performances and fell down the pecking order.

Without any game time in the last five matches, it is evident that the player has lost the trust of the German manager. In all honesty, that has been the pattern of his career at Stamford Bridge so far, be it under Frank Lampard or Tuchel.

It seems the lack of game time at Chelsea is pushing Barkley towards an exit. When asked about the situation regarding the 28-year-old, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel did not rule out a possibility of a loan move.  

“We haven’t discussed it yet [a loan deal]. It depends what Ross wants and what possibilities there are, and what makes sense. Let’s see.”

The German manager suggested that Barkley would be getting a considerable amount of chances in the coming weeks due to the injury concerns at the club. Now, the responsibility would fall upon the midfielder to capitalize on the moments. 

“There’s always a chance it is not like it is the FA Cup, and here’s your chance. There’s always a chance to make it onto the pitch, especially with a lot of COVID and injury cases. The situation has not changed, not for Ross, not for anybody else.”

N’Golo Kanté and Jorginho have experienced fitness concerns in the last month and still haven’t recovered fully. Mateo Kovacic’s return has boosted the squad, but that wouldn’t be enough on its own to tackle the hectic schedule. 

This is where the likes of Saul Niguez and Barkley can come into play. The ex-Everton man did get some chances this season. But it’s fair to say Thomas Tuchel didn’t take much time to judge his performances and the England international isn’t really the first name on the team sheet for us under him.

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He has only played 428 minutes in this campaign, which might not be enough for him to find and maintain his rhythm. But Tuchel’s aforementioned comments suggest that anything is possible with regards to the midfielder’s future- a loan move would see him get some game time elsewhere but him staying at Chelsea also ensures we have a safety net in case of a severe selection crisis.