Everton could make a move for Ross Barkley this summer, with the former Toffees man rarely appearing for Chelsea last season.
That is according to Dean Jones, who was speaking to This is Futbol about the Toffees’ potential transfer business ahead of the final month of the transfer window.
Barkley joined Chelsea from Everton in January 2018 in a deal worth £15m, with the midfielder signing a five-and-a-half-year deal.
However, injuries and a loss of form have resulted in the 28-year-old making just 100 appearances for the club in four and a half years, scoring 12 goals and providing 11 assists in that time, according to Transfermarkt.
The 33-time England international also spent an underwhelming season on loan at Aston Villa during the 2020/21 campaign.
And Jones believes that there is “definitely something” in the reports linking Barkley back to Everton, with Toffees manager Frank Lampard keeping an eye on several out-of-favour players at Chelsea.
He said: “There’s a lot of noise, particularly around Barkley going back to Everton, which obviously makes sense.
“There’s definitely something in it.
“Lampard has his eye on Chelsea’s outcasts.”
TIF Thoughts on Jones’ comments…
We believe that Barkley may struggle to regain the form that he once possessed whilst at Everton and therefore we are unsure as to whether his signing would be a good idea for the Goodison Park side.
The former Aston Villa loanee was dubbed a “liability” during his time at Villa Park by journalist Gregg Evans, suggesting that this might be a move that Lampard should avoid.
We believe that whilst Barkley is obviously a talented footballer, questions over his form over the past few seasons may suggest that Everton would be better off looking elsewhere to improve their midfield.