Chelsea has reached an agreement with Everton for the transfer of 24-year old England international Ross Barkley on a five-and-a-half-year contract for a reported fee of £15m.
The new Chelsea midfielder will wear the No. 8 shirt for his new club and will soon be available to play first-team football once again, following his lay-off through a hamstring injury sustained in the summer.
Prior to signing for Chelsea, the 24-year-old, who previously had a medical at Cobham in September with a view to signing with the Blues for £35m – before pulling out of the deal – had just six months left on his contract with Everton.
Mr Barkley told the Chelsea official website “I’m overwhelmed, I’m looking forward to it and I’m really excited to get started.
‘’To be given a fresh start at a new club like Chelsea, it’s unbelievable for me. I’m looking forward to continuing where I left off at the end of last season and hoping to improve and add more goals to my game.”
Ross Barkley’s stats for Everton in the Premier League:
150 games
21 goals
18 assists
204 chances created
106 tackles
327 take-ons completed
Mr Barkley, who had been with boyhood-club Everton since the age of 11, made a total of 179 appearances for the Toffees, scoring 27 goals in the process.
Tottenham – who have often been mooted as potential suitors for Barkley – had been expected to reignite the interest they showed in the player last summer but ultimately decided to focus their attention elsewhere, according to
Mr Barkley has 22 caps for England, will now join the likes of Cesc Fabregas, N’Golo Kanté and Danny Drinkwater as competition for places hots up in the heart of Chelsea’s midfield.
