Burnley 'are willing to rescue Barkley from Chelsea with a January loan swoop'

Burnley could offer Chelsea outcast Ross Barkley a career lifeboat by signing the midfielder on loan in January.

Barkley's chequered career at Stamford Bridge has continued under Thomas Tuchel, with the former England player failing to get regular game time.

Burnley are prepared to pay part of Barkley's salary should he join them on loan in the upcoming transfer window, according to The Sun.

Barkley has featured for just seven minutes in the Premier League this season, coming off the bench for Chelsea's 1-0 win over Southampton earlier this month.

The 27-year-old has been included in just two league matchday squads so far, with 14 minutes of Carabao Cup football and a short cameo off the bench in the Champions League against Juventus his only other tastes of action this season.

Barkley has fallen significantly down the pecking order given Tuchel's plethora of attacking midfield options, despite having 33 England caps.

Indeed, the reviving Chelsea fortunes of fellow sometime England player Ruben Loftus-Cheek stand in stark contrast to Barkley's continued demise.

But The Sun reports that Barkley has not yet responded in kind to Burnley's interest.

Barkley, signed from Everton in 2018, had a fruitful loan spell at Aston Villa last season. He made 24 Premier League appearances and scored three goals.

Burnley's interest may have been piqued given Barkley's assured performances for Villa, with Sean Dyche's club likely preparing for a relegation battle and looking to bring in reinforcements.