Chelsea let two central midfielders go on the eve of the season, with both Ross Barkley and Ruben Loftus-Cheek allowed to make loan moves to Premier League rivals despite having appeared likely to be used regularly this season.
We still think Ruben has a future at Chelsea once he’s back up and running after a terrible injury, wheras Ross Barkley might push harder for a permanent move given where he’s at in his career.
He’s had a spectacular start at Aston Villa, and despite having arrived less than a month ago, is playing well enough that manager Dean Smith is getting asked about making the midfielder’s move permanent:
“It’s nothing that has been talked about, our discussions were only for the end of the season,” Smith said in quotes picked up by the Birmingham Mail, before admitting that Barkley had “made a big impact.”
We’ve got no doubt that they will push to sign Ross permanently at the end of this season, and if they carry on in the form they’re in, he’s likely to want to make that move happen.
If we get good money for him, everyone could be a winner in this move.
