Chelsea have confirmed that Ross Barkley has left the club by mutual consent and will become a free agent. The contract of the 28-year-old was due to expire at the end of the 2022/23 season.
Ross Barkley has left Chelsea by mutual consent.
Wishing you well for the future, Ross! 🤝
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 29, 2022
The midfielder joined Chelsea in January 2018 and made 100 appearances for the club in all competitions.
His last competitive encounter was against Watford in the final match of the previous year. On that occasion, his header gave the Blues three points to end a season in which he made 14 appearances.
After being denied a transfer away from the club last summer, Barkley found it difficult to secure regular chances under Thomas Tuchel.
The 33-cap England midfielder spent 2020–21 on loan with Aston Villa, scoring three goals in 24 Premier League games, although he failed to leave a lasting impression.
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The former Everton star participated in Chelsea’s preseason tour of the United States but eventually did not receive a number nor selected for Tuchel’s starting lineup. Since the beginning of the season, Barkley has spent time working out with the youth team.
Under Maurizio Sarri, when Chelsea won the Europa League, Barkley probably had his best run of success while wearing a Chelsea jersey.
The England international participated in the triumph against Arsenal in the tournament’s final as well as the shootout victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the tournament’s semifinal.
Chelsea said in a statement: “We would like to thank Ross for his contribution to Chelsea and wish him well for the rest of his career.”
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