Barkley gives Chelsea Blues

– Chelsea suffered a dramatic late blow on transfer deadline day when Everton midfielder Ross Barkley (above) rejected a move to the Premier League champions after travelling to their training ground for a medical.

On a day of frenetic spending that took the Premier League total to a record far above £1 billion, Antonio Conte’s side also missed out on two of their other targets – Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Fernando Llorente.

England midfielder Oxlade-Chamberlain signed for Liverpool and Spaniard Llorente joined Tottenham Hotspur in deals worth £35 million and £12m respectively.

But the champions still managed some business, paying Torino £23m for defender Davide Zappacosta and then pushing through a late deal for Danny Drinkwater.

Special dispensation was requested from the FA to register Leicester City’s midfielder after the official deadline, one of several deals due to come through late.

However welcome those signings will be for Chelsea, they may not compensate for the snub delivered by England midfielder Barkley who arrived at their Cobham training ground late on Thursday only to head back north.

Everton’s majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri told Sky Sports Barkley had turned up at the west London club’s Cobham training base only to undergo a dramatic change of heart as the transfer deadline clock ticked down.

“The two clubs agreed a deal of £35m. Personal terms were agreed and after a medical we heard from Paul Martin, Ross Barkley’s agent, that he had changed his mind,” said Moshiri.

He said Barkley, who is in the final year of his contract, wanted to “reconsider his position” in the January transfer window.

The BBC later quoted a source close to 23-year-old Barclay saying the midfielder did not have a medical and wanted to make a decision about his future when he was fully fit. He has been sidelined with a hamstring injury after a hernia operation.

Alexis Sanchez was another player staying put, although for different reasons, as Arsenal turned down a £60m bid from Manchester City. –

The two clubs agreed a deal of £35m. Personal terms were agreed. Farhad Moshiri New Everton owner