“Few hours away from joining Vitesse on loan” Chelsea fans react to club’s first January arrival

Chelsea are reportedly expected to complete their first signing of the January transfer window today by bringing in Ross Barkley from Everton for around £15million. The England international was a target for the Blues in the summer and was close to joining us before the deal broke down. The midfielder opted to return back to Everton and continue his recovery from hamstring injury.

Barkley, 24, turned down a move to join Antonio Conte’s Chelsea on transfer deadline day in August, with majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri then saying Everton had accepted a bid and Barkley had agreed terms. With the 24-year-old on the verge of attaining full fitness, the Daily Mail report Chelsea are back for the midfielder and the deal could be finalised by today.

The report further suggests that the Premier League champions have kept their tabs on the Everton man, who was in London on Thursday, and are ready to finalise a move once he passes the medical.

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is a long-term admirer of the attacking midfielder but Antonio Conte’s Chelsea look to have stepped up their pursuit for Barkley, who is determined to complete the switch as quickly as possible.

We also have the prospect of signing the midfielder in the summer when he will be available on a free transfer, but as Spurs are interested, Conte is not ready to take any risk and wants to strengthen his squad in January by snapping him up. Barkley is set to leave Goodison Park after 13 long years, having joined Everton as an 11-year-old in 2005.

The academy graduate has played 150 times for Everton in the Premier League, scoring 21 times since making his debut in 2011. Despite bursting onto the scene as a highly-rated young talent a few years ago, Barkley has failed to live up to his potential at Merseyside.

However, it’s true that Conte views the midfielder as some talent and thus wants him to join his team. If our gaffer could help Barkley realise his true potential at Stamford Bridge, then it would be some story. With BBC confirming Barkley is set to have a medical at Chelsea, let us have a look at how the fans reacted to the news.