Steve Mclaren heaps praise on Ross Barkley- “He has the potential to be a real top player.”

Steve Mclaren has heaped praise on Chelsea’s new signing Ross Barkley and says Chelsea could take Barkley to the next level.

Chelsea have signed Ross Barkley for £15m from Everton on a five-and-a-half-year contract. The move has been widely lauded as a great deal for the Blues with the low price tag considered a bargain in today’s market.

And former England manager Steve Mclaren speaking on The Debate (via Skysports) stated that Barkley would improve and become ‘next level’ at Chelsea.

“I think it’s a great move for Chelsea and I think it’s a great move for him. I think sometimes when you are at your home club, you can be there too long and you have to learn the different levels of the game.

“Moving to Chelsea with [Antonio] Conte will bring a little bit of what he needs – discipline to be a top player – because he has the potential to be a real top player.

“I’ve [managed teams who have] played against him a couple of times and he’s been terrific and killed us on a couple of occasions. But he has been loose and undisciplined and he’ll get that [taken out] at Chelsea, which will take his game to a different level.”

Mclaren added: “I think the way Chelsea are playing, they are missing an attacking midfield player with Bakayoko and Fabregas a little bit too loose and not enough of a threat going forward.

“They didn’t have a runner who could also finish – Barkley can do that. I think with Kante there, Fabregas and Barkley being the runner and joining in, scoring goals from midfield, they’ll be a real threat and a good midfield three.”

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