BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) – Chelsea began their team’s tasting procedure after a record frenzy of expenses by ceding English midfielder Ross Barkley to Aston Villa for the rest of the season on Wednesday.
Barkley faced limited time in Chelsea following the arrival of offensive midfielders Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech, with Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Christian Pulisic and Ruben Loftus, also offering the competition.
Barkley, 26, has only 28 Premier League games since joining Everton in 2018 and sees a move to Villa that will help his chances of remaining in England coach Gareth Southgate’s plans for next year’s European Championship.
“For the last two years I’ve been intermittent, I’ve done it and then I’m off the team,” Barkley said.
“Coming here and having the possibility to play and carry out is a wonderful thing for me. With the Euros at the end of the season, it’s a vital purpose for me and I hope I can be there. “
Chelsea has spent around $300 million on new ones this season.
The ascended Fulham has hired English forward Ademola Lookman from the Leipzig Champions League semi-finalist on loan for one season.
Leipzig signed Everton’s Lookman last year and had already lent it for a successful stay, albeit briefly, in 2017-18. However, Lookman had occasional playing time when he returned to Leipzig last season, making thirteen appearances in all competitions and betting the 90 minutes once.
Lookman said at Fulham that he believes the loan would work well because he and Fulham coach Scott Parker are “young and hungry. “Lookman adds more intensity to Fulham’s attack as he searches for his first problems since returning to the Premier League after wasting his first three league games.
___
More AP football: https://apnews. com/Soccer and https://twitter. com/AP_Sports