Digne joining Chelsea could see Ross Barkley secure Everton loan
Any deal for Lucas Digne to join Chelsea “could also smooth the waters ” for Ross Barkley to return to Everton on loan, according to The Guardian.
The Stamford Bridge outfit want to sign the French left-back on a temporary deal when the January transfer window opens after losing Ben Chilwell to a season-ending injury, and he is expected to leave after falling out with Rafa Benitez.
The Toffees manager wants an attacking midfielder, and with Barkley, 28, linked, both clubs could look to discuss a possible swap deal.
Good deal?
Both players are currently out of favour at their respective clubs, and leaving on loan next month makes sense as they could do with a fresh start.
Chelsea will benefit a lot from having an attacking full-back like Digne in their ranks, but Everton are likely to be open to a permanent deal given their Financial Fair Play situation.
Barkley has only started a Premier League game in 2021-22, and a return to Goodison Park could do his career a lot of good going forward.
However, both players do not command the same value in the transfer market, and that could make agreeing to a deal tricky.
The Chelsea midfielder was one of the most promising youngsters in the country during his time at Everton, but he has struggled to get going since leaving for the London outfit.
Benitez has a way of getting the best out of players, and being under the Spaniard could be a breath of fresh air that Barkley needs to start firing on all cylinders again.
A return to familiar surroundings could also do the trick, and he could end up forcing his way back into the England squad if things go as expected.
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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