Out of favour 28-year-old midfielder set for Chelsea stay amidst foreign interest

Ross Barkley could stay at Chelsea despite attracting interest from Turkey

According to Telegraph journalist Matt Law via Twitter (h/t Football.London), Chelsea Midfielder Ross Barkley could stay put at Stamford Bridge this season despite rumours linking him to a loan move in Turkey.

The Englishman joined Chelsea in 2018 on the back of an impressive stint with Everton. Whilst the former Toffee has been impressive in patches, he has struggled to cement his position in the first team at Stamford Bridge.

Barkley has struggled for opportunities and has played only 428 minutes for Chelsea across all competitions this season. A majority of that has come in the Carabao Cup. The 28-year-old midfielder has fallen down the pecking order and it is difficult to see him rise to a position of prominence anytime soon.

Ross Barkley and Chelsea

While there was a lot of enthusiasm surrounding the transfer of Barkley to Chelsea, it has been a difficult journey for him. Lack of game time and injury issues have played a major role in hindering his growth. The Blues already possess a plethora of talented midfielders such as N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho in their ranks. As things stand, the 28-year-old has a difficult path ahead of him to make it at Stamford Bridge.

Hakim Ziyech can also be deployed as an attacking midfielder as well as a winger depending on the circumstances. It is certainly a challenging situation for Barkley who hasn’t featured a great deal in the last couple of seasons. It seems as though a move away from Stamford Bridge could be a great way for the player to rekindle his flagging career.

The former Everton player did spend a great deal of last season on loan to Aston Villa where he played 24 matches scoring three goals and providing one assist across all competitions. Injuries played spoilsport during his stay at Villa Park as well but Barkley failed to make the most of the opportunity at Villa Park.

At 28, Barkley should ideally be in the prime of his career, playing week in week out. However, he is at best an option off the bench at Chelsea. A move abroad would be ideal, even if it is on loan. The Englishman still has several years left in him and can yet resurrect his career.

More Chelsea News

• Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic wins Premier League Goal of the Month for January
• Transfer News: Former Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham eyeing future return to Stamford Bridge
• Glen Johnson believes Chelsea erred in bringing back Romelu Lukaku

While it seems highly unlikely that Ross Barkley will be moving away from the club at the moment, maybe a temporary move to another side may just be the kind of confidence boost that he needs. Unfortunately, he looks set to spend the remainder of the season at Stamford Bridge. Whether the Blues will choose to move him on in the summer remains to be seen.

With Chelsea set to play Plymouth Argyle this evening in the FA Cup, it remains to be seen if Barkley will make the starting XI.