TOO GOOD TO BE BLUE
Barkley ‘overwhelmed’ at ‘unbelievable’ chance to make fresh start at Chelsea
ROSS BARKLEY claimed he was “overwhelmed” to be handed a chance to kickstart his career at Chelsea.
Barkley finally sealed a £15million move to Stamford Bridge yesterday, after his proposed £35million deadline-day switch from Everton last summer collapsed at the 11th hour.
The midfielder, 24, who was due to be a free agent at the end of the season, had been with the Toffees since the age of 11, but wanted to quit for a new challenge.
Barkley, who has signed a deal until 2023 and will wear the No.8 shirt at Chelsea, said: “I’m overwhelmed, I’m looking forward to it, and I’m really excited to get started.
“To be given a fresh start at a new club like Chelsea, it’s unbelievable for me. I’m looking forward to continuing where I left off at the end of last season and hoping to improve and add more goals to my game.”
Landing Barkley (above) is a promising start to the January transfer window for Blues boss Antonio Conte.
He said: “We are talking about a player with great potential. He is a complete player but, at the same time, he is very young and just started his career.
“He is complete because he has it all. He has stamina, is strong physically, with good technique – a complete player. He is a modern footballer.”
Barkley has yet to play this season following hamstring surgery, but is now fit, and will train today with the other Chelsea players who are not involved in the FA Cup thirdround tie at Norwich.
Conte (right) said: “It will be very important to understand when he can recover from his injury. Don’t forget, he had a bad injury, had surgery, and has not played for seven months.
“We must have great patience and have to hope to recover him very quickly, so he can try to help us for the rest of the season.”
Conte is also keen to land a new left-back and striker, and has been linked with a shock move for West Ham targetman Andy Carroll.
He refused to discuss Carroll directly, but said: “I like to tell the club which is the role we can improve, and which are the prospects and the characteristics of the players I need.
“Sometimes, the club can make you happy, sometimes not, but it doesn’t change for me. My commitment will always be the same.
“There is one list, two lists, three lists. Sometimes, you can take the first name and sometimes the last name on the list.
“When you take a player that is first on the list, the improvement will be better.”
Norwich captain Ivo Pinto said: “Chelsea are one of the best teams in the world, so we will obviously be the underdogs.
“But we will only be the underdogs until the referee blows the first whistle. After that, we will just be two teams, both wanting to win.
“We will need to have a really good day and Chelsea will have to have a really bad day for us to go through.”