Barkley's £35 million move to Chelsea collapses after medical

Nizaar Kinsella

Barkley's £35 million move to Chelsea collapses after medical image

Ross Barkley has changed his mind over a move to Chelsea after Everton agreed a £35 million fee for the England international.

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The 23-year-old was undergoing a medical ahead of a proposed move to the Premier League champions, only to put the brakes on a switch to Stamford Bridge.

Tottenham have also shown an interest in the midfielder, who is in the final year of his contract, and Everton’s majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri confirmed the move to Chelsea is now off.

“The two clubs agreed a fee of £35 million, I think personal terms were agreed,” Moshiri told Sky Sports News.

“After the medical, we heard from Paul Martin, Ross Barkley's agent, that he changed his mind. And he wanted to reconsider his position during the January window

"Technically he will be with us because he's under contract for another year. It's a big surprise but that’s football."

It is unclear whether Chelsea or Tottenham will return to make a move for Barkley in January when he will be able to talk to clubs about making a free transfer ahead of the summer. 

Barkley is currently sidelined by a hamstring injury and reports have suggested that he could be out for at least another eight weeks.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are working on late deals to sign Leicester City's Danny Drinkwater and Torino's Davide Zappacosta in the final hours of the transfer window. 

Nizaar Kinsella

Nizaar Kinsella Photo

Nizaar Kinsella is a Chelsea correspondent with experience covering international football at the World Cup and European Championships. He is a trusted voice within the Chelsea community, attending almost every game and having spent many years doing so. Coverage on Goal.com has seen him invited onto CNN, BBC Radio 5 Live, TalkSport and BeINSports to comment on the turbulent world of the Stamford Bridge club. He previously worked for the Daily Mirror and BBC Radio Manchester, as well as a period working in the UK charity sector.