Aston Villa have released further footage of pre-season training this week, as new recruit Ross Barkley appears to be making a positive impression.
The Villa players began to return to Bodymoor Heath this week and we’ll get our first look at the team next Wednesday night when we face Walsall in our pre-season opener.
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However, it’s been fascinating to see clips from training over the past few days, as it gives us a bit of insight into how the players are looking at this early stage, as well as the drills which Unai Emery and his coaching staff have for them to learn and adapt to the style of play he will demand.
While Villa have already shared more general clips from the sessions as well as a closer look at Enzo Barrenechea, Barkley is next up and the club’s official YouTube channel praised him based on what’s been seen thus far, as per the video below.
Villa confirmed the signing of Barkley from Luton Town at the start of July, with the deal said to be worth around £5m, as per the Express and Star.
Emery evidently saw something in the 30-year-old that he liked after a stand-out campaign with the Hatters last year, and that gave the Basque coach the confidence that he would be an excellent fit for what he’s implementing at Villa.
Whether it’s his technical ability, touch or tenacity, Barkley appears to have settled in immediately as he looks to not only justify the decision to sign him this summer, but also establish himself as an integral figure in our midfield moving forward.
Having opted to sell Douglas Luiz, and as we wait to see if we’ll make a marquee signing to replace him, Barkley will likely be tasked with filling that void in pre-season for the most part, and while he can be seen in conversation with Emery in the video below and receiving encouragement, there is real optimism over the influence he could have for us in the upcoming campaign.
