Having secured the signing of Ross Barkley this week, Aston Villa boss Unai Emery will hope to have made a savvy move to strengthen his midfield options.
The 30-year-old arrived in a touted £5m deal after impressing for Luton Town last season, where he relished playing in a deeper midfield role and rediscovered his confidence and best form.
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With five goals and six assists in 37 appearances, Barkley showcased his quality in the final third, but the tweak to his position coupled with the experience and tactical awareness of being able to dictate and set the tone in midfield, ensured that he stood out and ultimately attracted Villa’s attention.
Having opted to sell Douglas Luiz this summer, there is a glaring void in the Villa midfield as we have lost our orchestrator and the main player who could control and dictate for us. While Barkley is a different profile of player and the expectation is that we’ll sign a ball-playing midfielder in this transfer window still, he gives Emery more flexibility and versatility in how he sets us up.
The former Villa loanee was excellent at picking up possession in midfield and either spotting a pass to get his side moving up the pitch quickly, or driving forward with the ball at his feet to create openings for himself and others.
Barkley has the technical ability, vision, patience and positional maturity to be a key presence for us and perhaps make us more direct, energetic and athletic, provided we find the right balance in midfield with a Boubacar Kamara-shaped void also to fill while the Frenchman recovers from his knee injury.
That will be one of the main challenges for Emery through pre-season and the start of the Premier League campaign, as we’ve effectively lost the heart of our midfield with Luiz departing and Kamara unlikely to return until towards the end of the year, and so it’s hoped that Barkley is ready to soften that blow and proves to be a capable option.
If given the license to get forward and make things happen in and around the final third, there’s real confidence that we’ll see an upgraded version from the one who spent time with us on loan in 2020, and coupled with the reported price-tag, it really could prove to be an inspired signing from Villa as we aim higher this season and beyond.
Emery evidently wanted him for a reason, and as he looks ahead to working with him when the players report back for pre-season next week, it will be fascinating to see how Barkley integrates and adapts as he looks to become a key figure for the Villa boss in implementing his preferred styles of play, and to become an effective and consistent presence in the side.
