Aston Villa are reportedly closing in on the signing of Ross Barkley from Luton Town as we look to strengthen our squad this summer.
The 30-year-old impressed for the Hatters this past season despite their eventual relegation, as he contributed five goals and six assists in 37 appearances across all competitions.
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Barkley of course knows Villa well already having spent the 2020/21 season with us on loan, as he contributed three goals and an assist in 24 games, albeit his year was disrupted by injuries after a promising start.
According to The Guardian, a reunion could be close this summer as it’s reported that Villa are closing in on an agreement to sign him on a permanent basis, and so time will tell when an official announcement is forthcoming.
Further, Fabrizio Romano has since added that we’re in advanced talks to sign Barkley as progress is being made in negotiations, with the midfielder said to be keen on the move while Emery likes him and believes he could be a smart addition to his squad.
Given the improvement we’ve seen in players across the squad since the 52-year-old was appointed and particularly how Morgan Rogers adapted and became such a pivotal figure for us in a matter of months after arriving in January, it’s clear that the Villa boss and his recruitment staff are working meticulously to identify and sign players capable of fitting into our structure, ideas and style.
The speculation above would suggest that Emery has spotted something he likes in Barkley that will strengthen and improve us, and while it’s unlikely to take a significant offer to prise him away from Luton, it could be another astute move from Villa to follow many others in recent times.
It’s noted in the report from the Guardian that PSR concerns are still prevalent for the club and so we’ll need to be sensible this summer and balance the books where possible without losing too much from the group.
In turn, snapping up Barkley for a modest fee with the potential to be a player who can be plugged in immediately to do an important job and complement what we already have, could prove to be another stroke of genius.
