Paul Merson has claimed that Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has made a mistake sending Ross Barkley out on loan this season.
The 26-year-old exited Stamford Bridge this week on a season-long loan to Premier League rivals Aston Villa, where he’s likely to be a nailed-on starter for them and an influential figure.
Barkley scored once in his three Chelsea appearances at the beginning of this campaign, but he was only viewed as a squad player and the club have sanctioned his loan as a result.
The central midfielder was directly involved in 10 goals in 31 games across all competitions last season, but the likes of N’Golo Kante, Jorginho, Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic are considered above him in the pecking order.
Merson believes that Lampard is in the wrong for offloading the English playmaker and has described him as a “huge talent”.
“Frank Lampard has made a mistake sending Ross Barkley out on loan because he will be a superstar for Aston Villa,” Merson told the Daily Star.
“What a signing that is. I can’t quite believe it, if I’m honest. How Barkley doesn’t get in the Chelsea team beats me. He is a huge talent. To let him go like this, especially to another Premier League team, is a dangerous game by Frank.
“If Barkley hits the ground running and starts ripping it up for Villa then serious questions will be asked why Lampard let him go. Chelsea have loads of midfielders. But Jorginho and Matteo Kovacic can’t go past people like Ross Barkley can.”
Barkley has proven on is day that he can provide real moments of magic on the pitch and when he’s high in confidence he’s a dangerous box-to-box midfielder, but you can’t blame him for wanting regular minutes and it seems unlikely that could cement a position in the Chelsea XI.
His move to Villa will give him the chance to try break back into the England squad and there is every chance the Blues could then make a profit on the £15million (BBC) they paid for him in January 2018.
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