Report: Newcastle Target Chelsea Pair Ross Barkley and Ruben Loftus-Cheek Following Takeover

The midfielders were set to depart the club in the summer but Barkley's wage demands sabotaged any potential move to West Bromwich Albion or Burnley, according to reports.

Loftus-Cheek was determined to stay and prove himself to Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea and has played well, earning his way into the starting XI against Southampton in the last Premier League match.

Barkley came off the bench against the Saints too and played a huge part in Chelsea's win, with Tuchel praising the pair.

"Most important is that I feel Ruben and Ross at the moment feel no pressure," he said in his post-match press conference.

"They are happy to have these chances, to feel the support, and perhaps six weeks ago they couldn't have imagined they were in the situation to get real minutes, important minutes.

"So they can help us because they have this kind of positive spirit and they didn't feel the pressure. In the last two games, of course, we lost and we felt something was lacking."

It remains to be seen as to whether their futures are at Chelsea but with Newcastle's new owners and interest, it could be a tempting proposition for all parties.

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