Aston Villa have officially announced the signing of Ross Barkley from Luton Town, in a deal reportedly worth around £5m.
The 30-year-old enjoyed an impressive season with the Hatters back in the Premier League last year, as he scored five goals and provided six assists in 37 appearances across all competitions.
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As per the club’s official statement, Barkley now returns to Villa after his previous loan stint with us, with Fabrizio Romano noting last month that the transfer is said to be worth around £5m.
It’s another astute addition to Unai Emery’s squad, as coming off the back of a positive campaign, Barkley is capable of adding experience and quality to this Villa squad, with the versatility and tactical maturity to play in different roles and fit into our structure and system.
Evidently by signing him, Emery believes that he can be a positive influence for us and will be able to adapt to his ideas and style of play successfully, and so it adds another important option for him to help us compete on multiple fronts again next season.
Given our troubles in midfield last season and coupled with the exits of Tim Iroegbunam and Douglas Luiz this summer, Villa are undergoing somewhat of a rebuild in that area of the squad, while also trying to complement the options that we already have and will bring in over the summer.
Barkley will certainly have a key role to play moving forward, and it’s hoped that he can build on his impressive form from last season and flourish under the guidance of Emery and his coaching staff as we embark on a what will hopefully be a season to remember.
With ambitions of not only solidifying our top-four spot in the Premier League, but also to compete in the Champions League, that balance of experience and youth will be key, as will having players capable of adapting to Emery’s principles and executing them effectively and consistently on the pitch.