Chelsea Transfer News: Ross Barkley Deal More Important Than Marek Hamsik

Reports suggest Jose Mourinho will once again go to war this winter in a bid to land Everton starlet Ross Barkley, a target who represents better value and prospects than his alternative Marek Hamsik.

Anthony Chapman of the Express writes that Chelsea are willing to sell Ramires in a bid to fund a move for Barkley, also wanted by Manchester City, while Jamie Anderson claims Napoli's Hamsik is also of interest.

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Either recruit would add a new dimension in attacking midfield, but with the Blues having experienced issues this summer in falling in with the Premier League quota for homegrown players, Barkley should take precedence.

Toffees boss Roberto Martinez has no concerns over the future of his talisman, however. Barkley is yet to feature this season after sustaining a knee ligament injury two months ago, per the Press Association (h/t The Guardian), and Martinez insists transfer links are seen as a positive for the player:

"

It’s a rumour and we’ll leave it there. We’ve spoken enough in the past about potential interest and I always mention the same – we take it as a footballing compliment and we’ll move on. 

All we want from Ross now is to be able to get him fully fit and get him ready to enjoy his football and help the team. We are looking forward to that day.

"

Hamsik, meanwhile, has been featuring for Napoli, but his influence hasn't been enough to prevent the club's poor run of form this season. Under Rafael Benitez, they have failed to win since the opening day of their campaign.

Despite that fall from grace into mid-table, the Slovakian international remains one of Benitez's most valued assets, creating seven scoring chances, per Squawka, an average of little more than two chances per outing.

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Any homegrown benefits aside, one might also argue that Barkley fits in better with Mourinho's system given the players already at Stamford Bridge. Hamsik is a specialist and by all rights one of the biggest dangers in European football playing in a No. 10 or trequartista capacity.

However, Barkley is more accustomed to playing closer to central midfield also, and has the benefit of having already starred in the English top flight. Hamsik is a Serie A staple after seven years in Naples, Italian journalist David Amoyal noting the playmaker's recent feat in appearances:

However, his talents are relatively untested outside Italy, and despite Napoli's need for funds, per Anderson's report, he might be considered a risk too far given that Mourinho already has assets like Oscar in his position.

Norwegian pundit Jan Aage Fjortoft may argue otherwise, however, and fails to see the value in Barkley's alleged price tag:

The Goodison Park product may only be 20 years of age, but he is already a full England international. His talents on the Premier league stage are well-known, having made 34 league appearances last season, 25 of which were starts.

And his potency in the division is growing, too, with Squawka showing he scored six goals and made 25 chances for his team. Hamsik is undoubtedly a more powerful puppeteer on pedigree, but at 27, his long-term potential isn't as great.

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With so many European and South American stars at his disposal, Mourinho is spoilt for choice in fielding combinations of extreme talent, but it would be pleasing to see more native talent thrive among such a stellar cast.

Just how likely the west Londoners are to land either figure is an argument in itself, but should it come down to a choice of one or the other, Barkley has all the right advantages running in his favour.