Phil McNulty claims West Ham-linked Ross Barkley set to leave this summer
BBC’s Chief Football Writer Phil McNulty has claimed that Ross Barkley is set to leave Chelsea this summer, amid reports linking him with a move to West Ham.
On his official Twitter handle, McNulty stated that Aston Villa’s impending transfer of Emiliano Buendia means that they won’t be looking to sign Ross Barkley permanently in this transfer window.
He believes that Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is unlikely to want him at Chelsea, and the England international could be on his way out in the coming weeks.
The Daily Mail reported recently that West Ham are interested in signing the out-of-favour attacking midfielder. They claim that the Hammers would explore the possibility of bringing him on loan rather than buying him outright as they’re not fully convinced that he’s the right man for the job.
Let’s see how this goes
Barkley is undoubtedly a talented player that can offer a lot to this West Ham side going forward. However, we mustn’t consider signing him if Jesse Lingard is set to join the club.
Recently, Hammers insider Claret & Hugh reported that Jesse Lingard is likely to be against the idea of extending his stay at Manchester United, amid interest from West Ham to sign him permanently.
The Manchester outfit are understood to be holding out for a fee in the region of £30 million despite Lingard having only a year left on his contract.
We hope and expect this deal to go through, but in case he doesn’t, Barkley could be a decent plan B.
The player’s an England international, has shown glimpses of his brilliance at Chelsea and Everton, and even at Villa was in fine touch before suffering an injury.
Speaking about him in July, Neil Warnock, who worked with the player when he was Leeds manager, said, “I think Ross is such a phenomenal talent.
“He can unlock defences and do the unexpected.”
It will be interesting to see where this one goes, but we believe it majorly hinges on the Lingard transfer.
In other West Ham news, Hammers to complete new signing ‘in the next few days’ – reliable source
Be sure to follow West Ham Zone on Facebook and Twitter for 24/7 updates on the Hammers and more exclusive interviews with Frank McAvennie.