Joining a domestic rival is always a risky move, but when it comes to Chelsea’s Ross Barkley, fans will surely forgive the midfielder for sounding out a permanent move.
READ MORE: Former West Ham star admits he could persuade Man City legend to join Hammers
Barkley, 27, joined Chelsea in 2018 after making a £15m move from Everton.
However, despite being a highly-rated midfielder in the Premier League, Barkley’s time at Stamford Bridge has failed to live up to it’s hype.
After struggling to nail down a place in the Blues’ first team, Barkley has been forced to go out on loan in order to rack up some valuable minutes.
Last summer’s transfer window saw the 27-year-old team up with Dean Smith at Aston Vila on a season-long loan.
Although the midfielder got off to a brilliant start as he appeared to form an effective partnership with skipper Jack Grealish, Barkley’s performances have declined in recent weeks.
Having only seen out 90-minutes once in his side’s last 12 Premier League games, it is now looking likely that Villa will reject the chance to sign Barkley on a permanent deal.
According to a recent report from the Telegraph, David Moyes’ high-flying West Ham are keen to offer Barkley an escape from his Chelsea nightmare.
TEAMtalk backed these claims up on Thursday after they reported the Hammers are actually frontrunners to land the Chelsea midfielder.
It has also been noted that the player himself would welcome a move to the London Stadium.
Probably due to the fact Moyes and Barkley have previously worked together during the pair’s time at Everton, if anyone can reignite the Englishman’s career, it’s Moyes.