Back in 2013, Ross Barkley was one of the hottest prospects in not just English football, but all of Europe.

The precocious Everton youngster caught the eye with his impressive ability to drive forward with the ball, take opponents on and create chances.

However, now 23-years-old, many believe the Liverpool-born star hasn’t quite lived up to his very obvious potential.

His contract only has 11 months remaining on it at Goodison Park and manager Ronald Koeman has already publicly stated he will sell Barkely if the player did not agree to a new deal.

Alas, we are nearing the middle of August and Barkley hasn’t even come close to leaving the club. However, Chelsea legend Frank Lampard – who played with Barkley at the 2014 World Cup – believes that the playmaker may need to find a top club to help him progress.

“Looking at it from the outside, he’s 23 now and he’s always had pockets of games where he’s done well and we talk about him.” Lampard said via the Metro.

“His England career has done a bit of that as well because he’s never done that throughout a season, so maybe a change would be good for him.

“At some stage sometimes, I did it as a young lad at West Ham, you have to try and go out of your comfort zone and try something else.

“Everton fans might not want to hear that, but everybody moves on. I like Ross and he’s got so much talent,” added Chelsea’s record goalscorer.

“While it does look like he’s going to leave now, he does need to go to a club where he can fulfill that talent.

“It’s all there, but he probably just needs to get a bit more out of himself. He’s at a young age and it seems that he wants to move.

“If he comes to a team like Chelsea or Tottenham, the players around him will help him improve because he’ll see what it takes to go to the next level.”

The plot thickens. Lampard goes on to suggest that Barkley could really flourish training with players who are proven in his position.

“Ross has the potential and he needs to go to the next level, he needs to look at the likes of Hazard and Willian and try and do the things they do.

“That’s not just have the potential, but to create and score goals regularly.”

Should Chelsea splash the cash on Barkley? With Conte desperate for new signings, they just might.