Revealed! Real reason midfielder turned down £35million transfer to Chelsea on deadline day

Ross Barkley’s decision to pull out of a move to Chelsea was due to last-minute doubts over whether he would get regular game time with the champions.

Former Everton coach Alan Stubbs says Ross Barkley turned down the move to Chelsea on summer transfer deadline day as the attacking midfielder had fears as regards potential playing-time at Stamford Bridge. That resulted in his dramatic change of mind on deadline day

The Blues had been linked with the attacker all summer window and it seems like they had finally gotten their target when a deal was agreed with the Merseyside club in the final few hours of the window.

The reigning Premier League champions reportedly agreed to a fee of around £35million for the 23-year-old Everton star, but he decided otherwise while undergoing a medical examination in London.

There has been a number of speculation as to why the midfielder decided against sealing the deal, with strong claims suggesting that he was keen on linking up with Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham Hotspurs.

Alan Stubbs, who had two different spells as a player at the Goodison, suggests a transfer may have been completed had the Everton star been assured playing time at Stamford Bridge.

Stubbs told Starsport, Barkley needed an assurance as to how much game-time he would get at Chelsea in a FIFA world cup year.