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05th Jan 2018

Everton fans aren’t happy as Ross Barkley completes his move to Chelsea

Once a Blue, always a Blue...

Simon Lloyd

Once a Blue, always a Blue…

Ross Barkley has left Everton for Chelsea… and this time there’s been no change of heart halfway through his medical.

Chelsea have parted with £15m of Roman Abramovich’s hard-earned cash for the 24-year-old, who will wear the number 8 shirt at Stamford Bridge. He’s signed a five-and-a-half year deal with the Premier League champions.

Perhaps understandably, the move has left a sour taste in the mouths of many Evertonians. Barkley had been close to making a move to Chelsea on deadline day in September, only to pull the plug after the two clubs had agreed a £35m fee for the player. He later explained in a tweet that he wanted to concentrate on recuperating from a hamstring injury before making his final decision on a transfer.

After allowing himself plenty of time to consider his future, he has now completed the move for a significantly smaller transfer fee than had originally been agreed. This – as many supporters have pointed out – after collecting his wages at Everton while the club’s medical staff helped his recovery.

With all this in mind, there weren’t too many Everton supporters wishing him well as news of his move was confirmed…