West Ham United manager David Moyes is planning to make another move for Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley, having failed to bring the England international to the London Stadium in January.
Barkley, who has made 24 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions this season, was handed his professional debut by Moyes as a 17 year-old at Everton, in a 1-0 home defeat to Queens Park Rangers in August 2011.
But he's found himself on the fringes of Chelsea's first team this season, with head coach Frank Lampard having an abundance of midfield options.
With Moroccan star Hakim Ziyech arriving at Chelsea this summer, Barkley may find himself pushed further down the pecking order - one that already includes the likes of N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Jorginho, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Billy Gilmour and Mason Mount.
Now, the Mirror report that Moyes is still hoping to reunite with Barkley in east London, and is hopeful of negotiating a deal this summer. Chelsea, incidentally, turned down a loan bid from West ham in January.
The Scotsman hopes that Barkley may be willing to push through a move in the hope of earning more regular minutes, something that may put him in contention for a spot in Gareth Southgate's England squad for EURO 2020 - which will now take place next summer.
Any move will depend on the Hammers retaining their Premier League status, with the club's chances of doing so receiving a significant boost after the 3-2 midweek win over Chelsea.
However, Moyes' hopes of securing Barkley's signature may depend on Lampard changing his opinion of the 26-year-old.
Previously, Lampard told the Blues' official website: "If he (Barkley) plays like he did against Liverpool and Tottenham, then he’s a big player for this club." He's started each of Chelsea's last two Premier League fixtures, and also came off the bench recently to score the winner against Leicester in their FA Cup quarter-final tie.
As a youngster, Barkley garnered plenty of attention for his breakthrough performances at Everton, attracting praise from the likes of Frank Lampard and Xavi. Roy Hodgson and Roberto Martinez, meanwhile - who have managed him at international and club level - even compared the Liverpool-born midfielder to England legend Paul Gascoigne.
Source : 90min