Chelsea could let £100,000-a-week star leave the club but only for a big fee

Chelsea will only sell Ross Barkley for a big transfer fee as Aston Villa interest continues

A report by Birmingham Live (h/t Football.london) states that Ross Barkley, who is on loan at Aston Villa, would not be sold by Chelsea for a small fee.

Barkley moved to Aston Villa on loan in September 2020 and has since impressed for them. He was in good form for the Villans before being sidelined with a hamstring injury in November.

The England international played two matches for Chelsea this season before making the switch. He was present in the 3-1 win against Brighton on the opening day of the season as well as the 2-0 league loss to Liverpool.

Barkley made his Premier League debut for Villa against Liverpool. He starred in a 7-2 win for them, where he got 1 assist.

Since then, the midfielder has been linked with a permanent move to Dean Smith’s side. Those links make sense, with Barkley getting regular time and Villa benefitting from his ability.

To sell or not to sell?

However, Chelsea would only let Barkley leave on a permanent basis for a ‘big’ transfer fee. The Blues know that the former Everton midfielder still has two and a half years left on his current contract. (h/t Football.london)

The 27-year-old would also face increased competition at Chelsea when he returns from his loan spell. Lampard added Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech to an already loaded Chelsea midfield.

Barkley started just 13 league games for the Blues last year, and getting game time this season could have been one of the reasons he chose to move to the Villans.

More Chelsea News:

• Declan Rice ready to snub Manchester United interest in favour of Chelsea
• Chelsea boss Frank Lampard admits trimming squad in January will not be easy
• Chelsea enter race for RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano

A permanent move for Barkley could also mean that Chelsea would free up his £100,000-a-week salary from their wage bill.