West Ham United keen on loan move for Chelsea’s Ross Barkley
West Ham are looking to bring Chelsea playmaker Ross Barkley to the London Stadium on an initial loan deal, according to Daily Mail.
Hammers boss David Moyes gave the 27-year-old his debut while they were together at Everton, and it appears he is eyeing a reunion.
While Barkley’s talents cannot be denied, he does not appear to have a future at Chelsea and is expected to leave again this summer after returning from a season-long loan at Aston Villa.
Blues manager Thomas Tuchel is already well-stocked in attacking midfield and could be looking to make one or two marquee additions this summer, paving way for the player’s departure.
Is Moyes capable of reviving Barkley’s career?
The England international hit the ground running at Villa Park, scoring thrice and assisting once in his first 10 Premier League appearances.
However, Barkley did nothing of note in his last 14 games, falling out of favour after a dip in form.
Nonetheless, West Ham are keen to take a punt on him for a season, and Moyes has proven in the past that he has what it takes to bring the best out of uninspired players.
Marko Arnautovic’s career was turned around during his first spell with us, with the Austrian scoring 11 goals and assisting another six in 26 games when the boss arrived in November 2017 having not scored a single goal prior to then.
Barkley has missed out on England’s European Championships squad despite helping them seal qualification for the tournament and earning manager Gareth Southgate’s praises.
“What I’ve seen from Ross over the last 12 months is a real improvement in his play between our penalty box and halfway,” the Three Lions boss told ITV Sport after the Chelsea man put in an impressive shift against Montenegro in March 2019.
“He’s a lot more consistent and very secure in his build-up play.
“What we saw the other night, which is what we want from him, is that ability to drive with the ball and do the things that, I think, make him a special player.”
Barkley is no longer that player from two years ago, but he still has it in him having shown it in Villa’s 7-2 demolition of Liverpool last October.
West Ham would be hoping to get that version on a consistent basis should a move work out, and Moyes certainly can help revive his international career ahead of next summer’s World Cup.
In other West Ham news, a big-money striker Moyes wants has been spotted with a Hammers star.
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