Aston Villa are said to be considering making a loan offer for midfielder Ross Barkley.
The signing of Germany international Kai Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen has seen Barkley pushed down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge and he could become available before the end of the window.
The 26-year-old has been a substitute in Chelsea’s opening two Premier League games against Brighton and Liverpool, but he started and scored in their 6-0 Carabao Cup victory over Barnsley on Wednesday night.
Here’s what his managers have said about him.
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EVERTON
Roberto Martinez, 2016
“The way he is playing at the moment, you can see he is a special footballer and he will get better…but he’s not a young man anymore.
“He’s playing well beyond his years, he’s taking responsibility and he’s very much trying to improve in every way.
“What’s clear with Ross is, we all saw that he had the potential to be world class.
"We’re not only talking about his technical ability but his physicality too. I don’t think there are many players who have that physicality combined and his technical level.
“More important is that Ross has now played 100 Premier League games. When a young player plays 100 games it tells you he is a reliable character and someone who is going to start knowing the league and knowing what he has to do on the pitch.
“I think Ross is ready to use his experience and is an example to the new generation of English football.
“He is someone with an incredible attitude, who loves the game, wants to improve and loves to play every game he can. It’s refreshing to see in the modern generation of footballers.”
Ronald Koeman, 2017
“Either he accepts the contract or we sell the player. But if you need so much time then you have doubts. I like to work with players who like to stay. We are already trying to get players in for next season in the front positions.
“It is up to the player and he needs to make a decision. We don’t wait ‘till August - next weekend we need an answer.”
Antonio Conte. January 2018
He signed: “He’s very young and has a lot of space for improvement. He’s a good prospect but at the same time, it will be very important to understand, if the player signs, we must have patience to help him recover.”
A few weeks later after his debut: “When there is an injury to one of your best players it is not simple, especially when on the bench the only substitute is Ross Barkley."
A few days later he explained further: “In my mind I thought that his physical condition was worse than the situation I found (when he came).
“I thought I’d find a player who was not in good physical condition. Instead, I was surprised to find a player in good physical condition.
“It is a positive surprise. You saw that during the Arsenal game he played. He was my first substitution after the Willian injury.
“My worry is not about his physical condition, but only to go into our idea of football, to understand the movement without the ball and with the ball. For this, he needs a bit of period to go into our idea of football.”
Maurizio Sarri, November 2018
“At the beginning, he was in trouble. Then he started to improve in every training, in every match. And so I am surprised [at his ability to adapt] if I think back to the first month, but not if I think of the last two months. I like very much him because I think he is a complete player.”
Maurizio Sarri, March 2019
“Probably he is not a leader in that way. Sometimes they don’t. It is not easy to change. It is an individual characteristic, I think.
“He has improved a lot tactically. Also, physically, I think. As you know well in the last season he played only 200 minutes, so he needed to stay on the pitch.
“Fortunately, now he is going very well with his leg and he improved a lot during the season — a very, very good player. I think that he improved a lot in the defensive phase because technically he was, and he is, a very good player.
““In the offensive phase, he can score seven or eight goals every season. Now I think he is also a good player in the defensive phase. He is not a defensive midfielder, of course, but he is good enough now.
Frank Lampard, March 2020
“In the early part of the season when Ross wasn’t getting in, he can look at himself and say he could have been doing better probably.
"Ross has taken that on in the most positive way possible. He has worked hard, and he’s got his nose in the team. He does need confidence as a player, I believe that, so to try and play him and give him minutes is always going to help with the confidence.
“If he plays like he did against Liverpool and Tottenham, then he’s a big player for this club. I have been pleased to see his recent performances.
"Now can he keep churning them out? I definitely know he has the intention to, and I definitely see that in training and the way he holds himself. I’m happy with Ross.
“It’s clearly in his powers. His shooting, right and left foot, is as good technically as I see on the training pitch. Also his ability to go past someone in advanced areas in midfield, his skill. It’s well within his range.
“He shouldn’t get caught up in where he’s at, what he may be, what may have been, only how he trains every day.
“When you see that you see he’s a really good player for us and can be that goalscoring midfielder, and not only that: he can play, he can run, he can tackle, he can do a lot of things.”
ENGLAND
Gareth Southgate Summer 2018
“I think Ross has just not been fit. He went (to Chelsea) on the back of a long-term injury, quite a serious one, and only had a couple of matches really.
“So I don’t think he’s available for selection now anyway, so he’s unfortunate in the way that has played out in this year in particular.
“But if he can get back playing and playing regularly I’m sure, post-summer... It’s going to be difficult for him I think to get the number of games he needs now. But we know he’s a talented player.”
