Soccer-Everton's Barkley a good prospect for Chelsea, says Conte

Jan 5 (Reuters) - England international Ross Barkley would be a good addition to the Chelsea squad, manager Antonio Conte said on Friday after media reports the Everton midfielder had undergone a medical.

"We are talking about an English player and a young player - he is a good prospect for Chelsea. Good opportunity for the club to buy this player..." Conte said at his weekly news conference.

Barkley, 24, has yet to feature for Everton this season as he recovers from a long-term hamstring injury, having turned down a move to the English champions in the close season, according to the Merseyside club's chairman Farhad Moshiri.

"He's very young. I think he has a lot of space for improvement... He's strong physically and had good technique," added Conte.

"It's important to understand about when he can recover from his injury. This player has not played for seven months. If this player signs for the club we must have patience and help him recover quickly."

(Reporting by Aditi Prakash in Bengaluru; editing by Ken Ferris)