Joey Barton reacts to Ross Barkley’s Everton exit

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Everton sold playmaker Ross Barkley to Chelsea on Friday.

Pundit Joey Barton has told talkSPORT that he thinks Everton have got a good deal for Ross Barkley – and can’t see where the midfielder will fit into the Chelsea side.

Barkley, 24, had come up through the ranks with Everton, making almost 180 appearances for the Toffees, scoring 27 goals.

The midfielder endured a difficult 2017 though, struggling for a key role under Ronald Koeman before being the subject of major summer speculation given his contract situation.

Barkley’s contract with Everton was set to expire at the end of this season, and a hamstring injury back in August not only scuppered a move to Chelsea, but also means he hasn’t played at all this season.

The England international has now moved on though, as Chelsea finally got their man on Friday, paying a £15million fee to sign him, as reported by BBC Sport.

Barkley can now finally start his Chelsea career and look to kick on ahead of the World Cup, but Joey Barton can’t quite see where the midfielder will fit into the Chelsea side.

Barton has told talkSPORT that he doesn’t really see Barkley challenging Danny Drinkwater in midfield right now, or pushing Eden Hazard and Alvaro Morata in the final third.

Barton added that Antonio Conte’s future could be a concern, adding that it’s a good deal for Everton given that he could have left the club for nothing at the end of the season.

“It is a good signing because £15m for Ross Barkley, if he can get back to the form he has got, is actually very cheap,” said Barton. “Everton have [also] got a good deal because you had a player running his contract out who wasn’t going to sign a new one so you were going to lose him on a free.”

“The issue is going to firstly be whether Conte stays at Chelsea beyond the end of the season. If they don’t win the title or progress in the Champions League, there could be question marks. We all remember the Roma game not so long ago when he looked like he was teetering. There’s David Luiz’s issue with him, he was maybe going to lose the dressing room – I don’t know what is going on.”

“And I can’t see Ross Barkley starting for that Chelsea side. Drinkwater has come in and done well and then it is kind of Hazard and Morata beyond that. I don’t really see where Ross Barkley fits in to the current Chelsea style under Conte, “ he added.