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Chelsea have completed their first signing of the winter transfer window with Ross Barkley having arrived from Everton for a reported fee of £15m.
The England international was initially tipped to join the Blues for £35m in the summer, but he refused to pursue the move as he was still recovering from a hamstring problem.
Antonio Conte's side revived their interest in the Toffees graduate shortly after the turn of the year, and the Englishman had no second thoughts this time around over the transfer.
Conte has recently stressed the need for new recruits to bolster his first-team squad, and he has said that Barkley could be regarded as a long-term prospect for the west London giants.
He told the club's official website: "He's very young and has a lot of space for improvement. He's a good prospect but at the same time, it will be very important to understand, if the player signs, we must have patience to help him recover."
Barkley is still stepping up his fitness after recuperating from the muscle problem, and there is not a definite date when he could make his competitive debut for the Blues.
Chelsea will look to progress to the fourth round of the FA Cup tonight when they take on Championship outfit Norwich City at Carrow Road. The Blues lost out in the final of the competition to rivals Arsenal last term.
Written by Sri Aswin
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