Ross Barkley's contract may have been running down at Everton but the stats show Chelsea could get an excellent return on their investment, writes Peter Smith of Sky Sports.
At the age of 24, Barkley's best years are ahead of him.
There's time to develop. However, there is a feeling he is yet to match the expectation levels which were thrust upon him as his reputation grew during his rise through the youth ranks
English midfielders Aug '15 to May '17
| Player | Club | Goals | Assists | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dele Alli | TOT | 28 | 16 | 44 |
| Ross Barkley | CHE | 13 | 16 | 29 |
| Adam Lallana | LIV | 12 | 13 | 25 |
| Wayne Rooney | EVE | 13 | 11 | 24 |
| Michail Antonio | WHU | 17 | 6 | 23 |
Over the course of the 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons, Dele Alli was the only English midfielder to register more goals and assists combined, and he plays in a far more advanced role.
Mesut Ozil, Christian Eriksen and Kevin De Bruyne were the only players to match Barkley in posting at least eight assists in both of those campaigns.
Last season was the most creative of Barkley's career, with his total of 56 chances conjured from open play ranking him among the top 10 in the Premier League. His average of 2.6 chances created per 90 minutes was the same rate recorded by Chelsea's star man, Eden Hazard.
Barkley v Chelsea midfielders '16/17
| Player | Goals | Assists | Chances per 90 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ross Barkley | 5 | 8 | 2.6 |
| Eden Hazard | 16 | 5 | 2.6 |
| Cesc Fabregas | 5 | 12 | 4.2 |
| Willian | 8 | 2 | 3.0 |
| Pedro | 9 | 9 | 1.8 |
| Nemanja Matic | 1 | 7 | 0.9 |
| N'Golo Kante | 1 | 1 | 0.6 |
While 21 goals from 150 Premier League appearances may seem a modest return, he has outscored new team-mate Cesc Fabregas over the past two completed campaigns and his expected goals (xG) total of 6.0 last season, compared with his actual return of five goals, ranked him behind only two other English midfielders.