Over the summer, Chelsea were being heavily linked with a move for Aaron Ramsey of Arsenal.
The midfielder’s deal expires next summer, and clubs have been circling for some time as it’s become clear that he’s not going to come to an agreement with Arsenal.
But the latest reports about the Welshman’s future cite just Liverpool and Manchester United as interested parties – what’s changed?
Well for one thing – Ross Barkley.
The midfielder barely featured after signing last January, but has taken his chance through preseason and the early part of this campaign to establish himself as one of Maurizio Sarri’s favourites.
That, combined with the arrival of Mateo Kovacic and the return of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, means that Chelsea have no room for a new man in the middle – even one available for free.
That’s a sign of how far Barkley has come, against the odds, and it’s a real relief to be able to say that we’re at last well stocked in the middle of the park, and can start looking at other areas of weakness in the team.
