Having missed out on the signing of 24-year-old Ross Barkley in the summer , Chelsea have clinched the signature of the English international from Everton for £15m.
While it might look like borne out of opportunity rather than need as Chelsea boast four regular central midfielders at the moment (Cesc Fabregas, Ngolo Kante, Danny Drinkwater and Tiemoue Bakayoko), it still doesn't take away the fact that the youngster might turn a bargain in years to come considering his talent and the highly inflated transfer market at the moment .
With the ability to drive and make runs from midfield into the penalty box of the opponents, as well as his incisive forward passes; Barkley is sometimes called the little Paul Gascoigne and Wayne Rooney when in top form.
His versatility will also be an advantage given his ability to play not just in central midfield but also on the flanks which will come in handy as Pedro and Willian have both not enjoyed the best of form this season . Also to be noted is his quick feet, strength which is a little different from what the trio of Kante, Bakayoko and Drinkwater offer (high pressing and hard running) making him the best offensive player to play halfway line supporting the attack , offering the killer pass.
Last season , the midfielder created nine big chances, registering nine assists and scoring five goals in 36 league games which isn't the best stats but at the same time not bad for a 24-year-old who has already played 150 Premier League games scoring 21 goals in the process.
Although one part of the midfielder's game that needs help from Antonio Conte is his inability to help his team when without the ball as he is poor tackler and man marker as well as his poor defensive positioning .
Unable to play until mid-February due to a hamstring operation, Chelsea will hope the once inconsistent Barkley can become a world beater at the club considering his unique talents.
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