Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has revealed that he studied Ross Barkley this summer in order to assess his qualities, as well as adding that he has developed into a ‘very, very important player’ for both club and country.
There were a number of raised eyebrows when Chelsea signed Barkley from Everton back in January, especially considering he was carrying an injury at the time.
The injury restricted him to just a handful of appearances, but under the guidance of new Blues boss Maurizio Sarri, he is rather surprisingly developing into a crucial player.
The former Toffee has already made twelve appearances this season, scoring three goals and providing four assists, and has helped his side to three consecutive victories in all competitions in Eden Hazard’s absence due to injury.
Speaking ahead of the weekend game against Crystal Palace, Sarri has revealed that he studied the 24-year-old before his summer arrival at Stamford Bridge.
“In the first week, I saw some matches of Chelsea and some matches of Everton, because I wanted to see him on the pitch,” Sarri told his Friday press conference.
“He has great technical quality, he has great quality from a physical point of view – he is improving since his injury last season – and he has improved from the tactical point of view.
“He is becoming a very, very important player for us, and not only us, for the English people too.”