Journalist Pete O’Rourke has revealed that Everton have made enquiries to see if Ross Barkley would be interested in returning to the club from Chelsea.
The attacking midfielder has struggled for minutes during his time with the Blues and could be available in the January transfer window.
What’s the latest with Barkley?
Barkley joined the Blues in 2018 but has yet to truly make an impact during his time at Stamford Bridge.
The 28-year-old has made just one Premier League start thus far this term and, in his four years at the club, he has made a mere 97 appearances for the club.
Barkley became a star during his time at Everton, making 179 appearances in total and scoring 27 goals, while also laying on 28 assists.
He is a former England international, having won 33 caps for the Three Lions and scored six goals, but his minutes have been seriously limited during his time in west London.
His contract is set to expire at the end of next season and has been linked and he has been linked with a potential return to Goodison Park.
The Daily Mail reports that manager Rafael Benitez is desperate to strengthen his squad in January and Barkley has been identified as a potential target.
A deal would likely take the form of a loan and would allow Barkley to play some regular football with the club where he made his name.
And O’Rourke has now confirmed that the Toffees are interested in doing a deal for their former attacking midfielder.
What has O’Rourke said?
He told GiveMeSport: “This one is sort of a sentimental one but I’m sure Everton have made enquiries about it to see if Barkley would be interested in a move back.”
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Would a Barkley return make sense?
Yes.
The attacking midfielder just doesn’t seem to have any luck at Chelsea when it comes to playing regularly.
The club have a ridiculous amount of riches at their disposal, with the likes of Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech ahead of him in the pecking order.
A move to Everton would allow him the chance to start playing regularly and potentially recapture his form, with him once being described as a "game-changer" by Joey Barton.
There has been evidence in recent seasons of players enjoying loan spells, with Jesse Lingard enjoying his stint at West Ham United and Gareth Bale playing regularly for Tottenham Hotspur.
This could be the best possible thing for Barkley’s career.