Chelsea football club capped a very wild and weird summer transfer window with a very dramatic final week, and extremely news-worthy deadline day. A big part of the drama surrounded Everton defender Ross Barkley, who felt the need, following the closure of the transfer window, to speak out about what really went down.
There have been many conflicting reports out there about how close Barkley came to moving to Chelsea, and the reasons why that transfer did not transpire.
Ross Barkley denies the claim that he backed out of a potential move to Chelsea while undergoing a medical for the club. Friday brought the first time Chelsea Manager Antonio Conte met the media who covers his team since the transfer window closed. Part of the press conference included Conte dismissing the Barkley stories as “ridiculous.”
“First of all, I want to tell you that I don’t like to speak about players of other teams because it is a lack of respect,” Conte said today.
“But what I read about this issue was ridiculous. Ridiculous. I stop. It’s ridiculous. With this adjective, I tell you my thoughts of this news.”
Conte was asked if he thinks he now has a squad large enough to contend in all the domestic and European competitions. Does the Italian believe that Stamford Bridge had a summer transfer window strong and productive enough to make the Blues a major factor on multiple fronts?
“This question is very difficult to answer. I think we have to wait until the end of the season and then we’ll see. Then I can reply very well,” Conte responded.
“For sure, the club tried to do their best in this transfer window. Now the window is closed and it’s time to continue to work, to work with these players, and I’m very happy to work with the players we have.”
“Now, I repeat, it’s time to be focused on the present. The transfer window is closed and is the past for us.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now and Minute Media. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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