Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley is reportedly on West Ham United’s radar.
West Ham United’s reported interest in Chelsea attacking midfielder Ross Barkley is understandable.
After all, West Ham manager David Moyes worked with Barkley when he was in charge of Everton, and with the 26-year-old having struggled to make a major impact at Chelsea, there is no surprise that the ex-Manchester United boss reportedly wants to add him to his team.
According to The Mirror, West Ham want to sign the England international on a loan deal in the January transfer window, although Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has told Sky Sports that the attacking midfielder will not leave.
Moyes is not the only senior figure at West Ham to rate Barkley highly. Back in November 2016, the London club’s vice-chairman Karren Brady raved about the Englishman.
Brady was impressed with how Barkley had performed for Everton against West Ham, and although she felt that he was too good to be left out of the England squad at the time, she urged him to be consistent.
Brady wrote in her football diary in The Sun published on November 5, 2016 (entry date: Sunday, October 30): “Ronald Koeman has made it clear to Ross Barkley that he has to work his passage.
“It’s the lesson even the best young players have to learn, and especially them because carelessness is an unnecessary blight on the richest talent. I’ve seen some who never learned and the cost in points was so excessive the manager felt they had to leave.
“Although only 22, Everton star Barkley is too good to be left out of the England squad and put in a performance that helped undermine my team at Goodison today. Now he must do this every week to realise his potential — but not against West Ham!”
Stats
Barkley has made six starts and two substitute appearances in the Premier League for Chelsea so far this season, and has played 10 minutes in the Champions League, according to WhoScored.
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