Chelsea have not given up hope of signing Ross Barkley and will move for the Everton midfielder in January, reports The Daily Mail.
The defending Premier League champions had a bid accepted by Everton in the summer but Barkley opted against the move as he wanted more time to consider his future.
Barkley will only have six months remaining on his existing Everton deal in January and is still expected to leave despite Ronald Koeman’s dismissal back in October.
The 24-year-old is nearing a return to first-team action after suffering a serious hamstring injury in pre-season but it remains to be seen whether he has already played his final Everton game.
Tottenham have been heavily linked with a move for Barkley in the past and will likely rival Chelsea’s bid for the England international.
Barkley has created the most goalscoring chances in the Premier League for Everton since the start of last season despite the fact he hasn’t featured once this term (84).
