Ross Barkley reveals why he didn't leave Everton for Chelsea in the summer

The midfielder was poised to make the move to London last summer, with the details of a £35m transfer agreed to, but the deal fell through at the 11th hour

Ross Barkley is set to make his debut against Brighton on Saturday (Getty)

Ross Barkley has opened up on his delayed move from Everton to Chelsea, explaining that the nature of his summer injury convinced him that it didn’t feel “right” to join the Blues in such poor physical condition.

The midfielder was poised to make the move to London last summer, with the details of a £35m transfer agreed to, but the deal fell through at the 11th hour with doubts raised over Barkley’s long-term fitness.

Barkley eventually completed his move to Chelsea this January, signing for £20m less than the original agreed transfer fee, much to the annoyance of Everton fans, and the player has explained that his recent injury struggles prevented him from committing to the Blues last year.

When asked about last summer’s failed move, the 24-year-old said: “I had a massive injury, which was really bad. I ruptured my hamstring and before that I had surgery two weeks earlier on a hernia, so before the season has even started I had two surgeries.

“At the time I couldn’t even walk, I was in a brace for six weeks and couldn’t put any pressure through my legs so I didn’t feel it was right to make a move at the time. I wanted to weigh up all my options and really think about what I am going to do with the next stage of my career.

“I have never had a muscle injury before, it was a weird one in training, I went in for a tackle, slipped and felt a pop at the top end of my hamstring and I pulled the tendon off the bone. It was really bad.

“After a few days I was having surgery in London and my future was all up in the air and I thought it was best to focus on getting fit, which took a while, and then I thought this was the right move for me.”

Barkley also admitted that the decision to leave Everton, his boyhood club, for Chelsea was a “hard” one.

“Everton means the world to me," he said. "I am a boyhood fan, I am a local lad and have supported Everton all my life, it was a very hard decision but I felt it was right to make the jump to Chelsea. I am grateful for what the club did for me over the years and it was hard to leave. The fans were great with me.”

Ross Barkley was unveiled as a Chelsea player earlier this month (Chelsea FC)

The transfer has caused quite the stir on Merseyside, with Barkley’s agent reportedly pocketing £7m from the deal – in addition to the £15m paid out by Chelsea.

Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson, a life-long Everton fan, notably called for a police investigation into “whether any fraud has taken place” in the transfer in a leaked letter to the Premier League and the Football Association.

Merseyside Police later confirmed that no criminal wrongdoing had taken place.