Everton want to sign Ross Barkley on loan in January
Everton are keeping tabs on Chelsea attacking midfielder Ross Barkley as a January loan target, according to The Telegraph.
The 28-year-old is struggling for regular playing time at Stamford Bridge, starting just one Premier League game in 2021-22, and they could be open to letting him leave until the end of the campaign.
The Toffees have discussed temporarily bringing back their academy graduate to Goodison Park, and Rafa Benitez would be open to a move in order to strengthen his squad for the second half of the season.
Would the fans approve?
Barkley left Merseyside for Chelsea four years ago, insisting he wanted to move on to greener pastures, and the fans have not particularly forgotten.
They booed him at Stamford Bridge earlier this month during the Premier League clash between both teams, and whether they would be open to having him back after his controversial exit remains to be seen.
Roberto Martinez dubbed him “special” back in 2013, and while injuries and lack of form have hindered his progress of recent, he showed flashes of his talents during the early days of his loan spell at Aston Villa last term.
Barkley is no longer in contention for an England call-up these days, but he can rediscover his form by playing regularly, and Everton could be offering him that chance.
He has a lot to prove after failing to reach the heights many predicted for him, and getting to do that at Goodison Park would be massive.
He will likely embrace such a move and opt to return to the Toffees permanently if things go well afterwards, but the likelihood of a loan happening could be low.
In other Everton news, the Toffees are plotting January loan-to-buy bid for centre-mid hailed by Jack Grealish last month.
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