The £ 15 million man in limbo after failing to seal the Everton or West Ham move won’t be seen until 2022

Ross Barkley hoped Thomas Tuchel would take the EFL Cup seriously.

Because with the transfer market closed until January 2022, a brief episode against his former employers, Aston Villa, may represent Barkley’s best chance of getting some playing time between now and the New Year.

The England international with 33 appearances to his credit, this is a rather uncertain situation for the man who was branded as Paul Gascoigne’s second arrival long before Jack Grealish stormed onto the stage and while Phil Foden was still honing his steps in the streets of Stockport.

Will Ross Barkley play for Chelsea again?

A look at Chelsea Official Website tells his story.

Here he is, looking through the camera lens next to the forgotten man Lewis Baker on the staff roster.

Barkley, like Baker, has no team number. With Jorginho, N’Gol Kante, Mate Kovačić, Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and the arrival of Saul Niguez ahead of him on the final matchday, he has no place in Thomas Tuchel’s plans either.

When Chelsea appoint their official Premier League team of 25 people in the coming days, don’t be surprised if one of the most natural English footballers of his generation is noted by his absence.

Not that Barkley lacked interest.

West Ham and Newcastle United were excited, according to 90 min I Athleticwhile Rafa Benitez was ready to offer the £ 15m Barkley a fresh start in the well-known setting of Goodison Park.

Burnley was even late on the day of the deadline with little luck, he reported. Fast.

But after failing to secure an escape from the club he joined after so much speculation in 2018, and after a loan from Aston Villa that started well but went south quickly, things will take a turn for the worse before getting better for Barkley.

Meanwhile “cute”: Gary Lineker reacts to images of a West Ham man with 24 capitals leaving the Leeds star in shock

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