Fulham have reportedly approached Chelsea about the possibility of signing England international Ross Barkley on loan, according to reports this afternoon.

The 28 year-old attacking midfielder is also a target for Frank Lampard at Everton and Chelsea are keen to offload a number of fringe players to facilitate further spending for Thomas Tuchel before the start of the new season. Barkley, who joined Chelsea from Goodison Park for £15m in January 2018, made just fourteen appearances for Chelsea last season – scoring a single goal. Fulham were interested in bringing in Barkley on loan the last time they were in the Premier League, but after the midfielder chose Aston Villa instead, they opted for Reuben Loftus-Cheek.

Barkley, who has 33 senior caps for England and scored six goals, established himself as one of the country’s most exciting young talents after breaking through at Everton, being voted the club’s young player of the year in 2013 and and 2014. The creative midfielder, once described by Roberto Martinez as a blend of Paul Gascoigne and Michael Ballack, made 179 appearances in eight years with the Toffees, scoring 27 goals. He has struggled to establish himself at Stamford Bridge – and could well be on the move before the close of the transfer window.