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Chelsea had been linked with Everton’s Ross Barkley all summer and it looked like the deal had finally been agreed with Everton in the final few hours of the summer window before the England international pulled out of the deal and chose to remain with the Toffees.

Former Everton defender Alan Stubbs has revealed that Barkley pulled out of the deal due to fears that he wouldn’t make it into the Chelsea first eleven.

A medical was organised for the 23-year-old but it was never completed as Barkley dramatically decided that a move to Stamford Bridge was not for him.

“Yes (there was doubt in his mind),” Stubbs told Starsport.

“It looked like he was going to Chelsea but he had a change of heart at the last minute and decided against it.

“The one thing that Ross would have wanted was that he would be starting games and Chelsea couldn’t promise him that.

“That wasn’t going to be the case and that’s one of the reasons why he decided to stay at Everton.