Ross Barkley has left Chelsea by mutual consent and becomes a free agent after an underwhelming spell at the London club.
A Chelsea statement has confirmed that the midfielder has had his contract terminated and will now search for a new club as the Englishman was not part of Thomas Tuchel’s plans.
The 28-year-old joined the Blues back in 2018 from boyhood club, Everton, for a £15m fee, as reported by the BBC. Barkley described the move at the time as “unbelievable” and “a fresh start” but it has not worked out for the midfielder since.
Ross Barkley has left Chelsea by mutual consent.
Wishing you well for the future, Ross! ?
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 29, 2022
Barkley failed to hold down a place in Chelsea’s first 11 and was even loaned out to Aston Villa during the 2020-21 campaign but did not impress enough to warrant a permanent move.
The 28-year-old showed such promise during his time at Everton but for some reason, he never reached his potential at Chelsea. Barkley played 100 times for the Blues, during which he scored 12 goals and assisted a further 11.
Where the former Everton man goes from here is uncertain but it will be interesting to see who is looking at signing the midfielder in the near future.