Ross
Barkley’s contract may have been running down at Everton, but the stats show
Chelsea could get an excellent return on their £15m investment, writes Peter
Smith...
Once adored and heralded as a future club legend, Ross Barkley leaves
Everton with many supporters angry at his refusal to commit to his boyhood
team. They have a right to be bitter about the fee they've received from
Chelsea, too.
Everton had agreed to sell Barkley to the Londoners for £35m in the summer
before the move fell through. Six months on, and with Barkley sidelined
during that entire time with a hamstring injury, Chelsea have got their man
for just £15m (plus add-ons).
With Barkley refusing to extend his terms at Goodison Park and out of
contract and available on a free next summer, Everton needed to get
something for their 'diamond'. But given the inflated sums in the current
transfer market and Barkley's potential, this seems like a bargain of a deal
for Chelsea.
Remember, £15m is the amount Stoke paid for Saido Berahino last January,
when he was in the same situation, with just six months left on his West
Brom contract. This summer, Liverpool spent £34m on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
as he entered the final season of his deal at Arsenal.
Barkley, described by former boss Roberto Martinez as "the best English
talent I have seen", capped 22 times by his country and now eligible to play
in all four competitions for Chelsea, is immediately worth substantially
more than what the Blues paid for him.
In a world where elite full-backs cost £50m, how much would Barkley command
if he found full fitness and top form over the second half of this season?
At the age of 24, Barkley's best years are ahead of him. There's time to
develop. However, there is a feeling he is yet to match the expectation
levels which were thrust upon him as his reputation grew with his rise
through the youth ranks.
But
while another of his former Everton bosses, Ronald Koeman, criticised him
for not being clinical or creative enough, the numbers show Barkley is a
player who will prove more than useful to Chelsea boss Antonio Conte right
away.
Over the course of the 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons, Dele Alli was the only
English midfielder to register more goals and assists combined - and he
plays in a far more advanced role.
Mesut Ozil, Christian Eriksen and Kevin De Bruyne were the only players to
match Barkley in posting at least eight assists in both of those campaigns.
Last season was the most creative of Barkley's career, with his total of 56
chances created from open play ranking him among the top 10 in the Premier
League. His average of 2.6 chances per 90 minutes was the same rate recorded
by Chelsea's star man, Eden Hazard.
While 21 goals from 150 Premier League appearances may seem a modest return,
he has outscored new team-mate Cesc Fabregas over the past two completed
campaigns and his expected goals total of 6.0 last season - compared with
his actual return of five goals - ranked him behind only Alli and West Ham's
Michail Antonio among English midfielders.
"For sure he is a good prospect for Chelsea," said Conte, ahead of the
official announcement. With Blues trio Willian (aged 29), Fabregas and Pedro
(both 30) moving towards the latter stages of their careers, Barkley could
well be the future of Chelsea's midfield creativity.
Tom Davies, Mason Holgate, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Jonjoe Kenny have all
signed long-term deals, meaning the Goodison Park faithful have plenty of
other home-grown players to be excited about.
But it is likely to be Chelsea who feel the full value of one of Everton's
most talented academy graduates.
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