Sam Allardyce says Everton can finally move on from the saga over Ross Barkley’s future.
Barkley completed a £15 million move to Chelsea on Friday, ending a lifelong association with the Blues after he had refused to commit to a new contract.
The midfielder’s departure has been greeted with anger by Evertonians faithful, with some claiming he stabbed his boyhood club in the back.
That comes from Barkley rejecting a £35m move to Stamford Bridge on deadline day last summer to stay at Goodison Park to recover from a hamstring injury.
His belated move to the Premier League champions effectively set Everton back £20m but Allardyce is keen to evolve beyond the entire situation.
He said: “I don’t think (him staying) was ever on the cards to be perfectly honest.
“I think we all knew what was going to happen.
“The good thing for me is that it has happened on day one and we can move on and stop all the speculation.
“Ross Barkley is a Chelsea player and good luck to him.
“We’ve got to look at what we bring in and what we can improve the side with and try to move on and make as many league points as we possibly can between now and the end of the season.”