Ross Barkley left Chelsea by mutual consent, after four and a half years at Stamford Bridge.
The midfielder signed from Everton in January 2018, as a regular international in England, but failed to make much of an impact.
He scored 12 goals in 100 appearances for the Blues, helping the club succeed in the Europa League in 2019.
“It was Barkley’s last game against Watford in May, and it was a late header that secured all three points in our final game of the season,” a Chelsea statement read.
We would like to thank Ross for his contribution to Chelsea and wish him well for the rest of his career. ”
Chelsea must not repeat Barkley’s mistake with Anthony Gordon
Chelsea are in desperate need of a striker before the transfer window closes, and Anthony Gordon of Everton is one of his main targets.
However, while the England Under-21 national team player has undoubtedly shown promise, he has failed to deliver a consistent end product – the Blues’ biggest needs.
Gordon had an outstanding season with Everton last year, playing 35 times in the Premier League, but only managed to score four goals and two assists in his first full season as a first-team player.
And with Chelsea struggling to get their best finishing touch as of late, Gordon’s move won’t improve it in the short term.
The young man was a bright spark in a disappointing season and showed maturity under difficult circumstances. But progressing to a team in the Champions League would be in great demand.
Gordon is believed to have told Everton he would like to join Chelsea, but with three years remaining on his agreement, he would be wise to take another year to develop in a less stressful environment.
In fact, if Gordon achieves the potential the Toffees think he has, he will have plenty of opportunities to move to a bigger team and shouldn’t be in a rush to leave the club he’s in.
Anthony Gordon is seen as a player adding unpredictability and creativity from wide positions, and the move is understood to be motivated by a desire to try and sign some of the best English talent in the country. (Tweet embed) #CFC
– PES (CFCPys) August 16, 2022
In the meantime, Chelsea have sold Timo Werner due to his inconsistent goal output and it would be better to use his resources on a more consistent scorer rather than a raw prospect.
The Blues also own Armando Broja, who is likely to leave on loan if Gordon is signed, despite being of the same quality and potential.
The move would draw parallels with Chelsea’s signing of Ross Barkley in 2018, but the Everton academy graduate joined in a £15m cut-price deal due to the expiration of his contract.
More established than Gordon, Barkley was arguably a higher rating, but he never lived up to his potential and Chelsea struggled to replace the 28-year-old, before his contract was terminated.
Owner Todd Boehle would benefit from learning from his club’s past mistakes and avoiding overspending on extravagant young Britons, instead developing from the inside and making the right deals.
