Nice confirm signing of former Chelsea midfielder

French club Nice have confirmed the signing of former Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley on a free transfer agreement.

The England international spent four-and-a-half seasons with the Blues, but was barely a regular during his time at the club.

Barkley was anticipated to leave on a cut-price this summer, but the lack of interest meant that the Blues terminated his contract.

This allowed Barkley more time to select his next club, and Nice have now come forward to sign him on a short-term deal.

The French outfit have been focused on landing players with Premier League experience and Barkley is their latest acquisition.

Former Premier League stars Aaron Ramsey and Kasper Schmeichel signed on permanent contracts during the summer transfer window.

The Ligue 1 side also secured the services of Joe Bryan and Nicolas Pepe on season-long loan deals from Fulham and Arsenal respectively.

Nice have made a poor start to the league season which sees them 16th with just five points. They will be aiming to climb up the table.