In a summer in which the club have only made three signings to augment the quality of our starting eleven, the return of a fully-fit Ross Barkley has the feeling of welcoming a new player to the squad.
In August 2017, a reported mega-money move to Chelsea collapsed for Ross Barkley, as the Englishman opted against joining the then Premier League champions as he was still nursing a hamstring injury that he sustained with Everton.
In the new year, the boyhood Everton player eventually chose to join the club, but his adaptation to Chelsea life was severely impacted by another hamstring injury. The 24-year-old was absent for 56 days, as per transfermarkt, meaning that he missed nine games for Antonio Conte’s side. Without question, this was hardly the best environment to prove your worth at a new club, and subsequently, he only amassed four appearances last season.
Nonetheless, the appointment of Maurizio Sarri and the summer break has seemingly revitalised Barkley, who looks prepared to mount a serious challenge to start in the Italian’s decorated midfield. Having featured prominently in our pre-season fixtures, the 24-year-old played the entire ninety minutes in our Community Shield defeat to Manchester City, and he starred in our 3-0 triumph against Huddersfield.
Seemingly, Barkley has earnt Sarri’s trust, and while the arrival of Mateo Kovacic could threaten Barkley’s first-team involvement – a player who flaunts similar attacking traits – the Englishman has undoubtedly shown how valuable he can be this season.
The last time we featured in the Europa League was during the 2012/13 campaign, where he played a staggering total of 69 games throughout the entirety of the season. While our total of games may not emulate that of the 2012/13 season, there will be considerable opportunities for Barkley to demonstrate his worth.
Furthermore, unlike the likes of Fabregas, Kante and Jorginho, Ross Barkley is considered to be a goal threat, capable of finding the back of the net from varying distances. This attacking potency could be of incontestable significance to a team that seeks to dictate possession. Kovacic aside, one might argue that Barkley possesses the greatest attacking quality out of our midfielders. The Englishman is valued at £22.5M by transfermarkt.
In addition to his goal-scoring antics, the 24-year-old is an accomplished dribbler, who is capable of driving forward and creating space and purposeful chances for his teammates. His potential usefulness was reiterated on the Monday night show of the Chelsea Fancast.
In the words of Tony Glover, “Barkley has been hugely impressive. He has always been a good prospect, and I would have bought him 4/5 years ago. Following a patchy last season, I think he’s been so professional. He’s obviously put his head down, and worked really hard.”
Alex Churchill, otherwise known as the girl who likes balls, reinforced the admiration for Barkley and expressed the unrelenting work ethic that he displayed against the Terriers. “He has been so impressive. And, he and Pedro worked so, so, hard at Huddersfield. When Barkley went off, and Loftus-Cheek came on, for the first five minutes, we were noticeably worse.”
The affection for the former Everton midfielder is seemingly unanimous among Fancast folk, as Chidge revealed his appraise for our number eight. “We need to remember that this is a kid who broke into the England team 4/5 years ago. This is a very talented young man who has been very unlucky with injuries, I think there’s a hell of a player in there, and I just hope that we can bring him out.”
Accordingly, there’s considerable excitement around his return to fitness. All that remains is for Barkley to sustain his fitness, avoid his injuries and demonstrate his marvellous qualities.
What are your thoughts? Let us know! You can listen to the Fancast every Monday night at 7 pm.
