In a recent report, Birmingham Mail has revealed that on-loan Aston Villa midfielder Ross Barkley has lost Dean Smith’s trust after he was an unused substitute for the Villans in their 3-1 win over Fulham in the Premier League last weekend. It is understood that the English playmaker, who is currently playing on loan from Chelsea, has lost his manager’s faith which might jeopardize his future at Villa Park beyond this season (via Birmingham Mail).
Barkley’s Lacklustre Loan Spell At Aston Villa This Season
Barkley has endured an inconsistent loan spell with the West Midlands outfit so far. He has missed several key matches because of a hamstring injury which has not helped his cause at Villa Park. The Liverpool-born midfield ace has netted three goals and secured one assist in 18 matches for Dean Smith’s team this term across multiple competitions.
Despite his lack of productivity in the final third, Barkley deserves some praise for averaging 1.8 shots, 1.7 key passes and 1.2 dribbles per game in the Premier League this season. The 27-year-old has been tidy when distributing possession from midfield after making 84.1% of his attempted passes in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
Barkley has only got a handful of matches remaining to impress his manager Dean Smith if he wants to earn a permanent move to Villa Park this summer. However, the Villans boss currently has no reason why he should keep the England international beyond the end of this campaign.
What Does The English Midfield Ace Offer On The Field?
On his day, Barkley can be a real threat in the opposition half because of his ability to strike the ball with power and accuracy from long range. The 33-time England international has also got the vision to play a decisive pass in and around the opponent’s penalty area and can also make some driving runs with the ball from midfield. However, he has struggled to be consistent with his productivity in the attacking third which has now cost him his first-team privileges at Villa Park.
Does Barkley Have A Future At Villa Park?
The way things are going for Barkley, it is unlikely that Smith would attempt to make his loan move permanent next summer. The Villans have already got Douglas Luiz, John McGinn and Morgan Sanson giving a good account of themselves recently, so Smith has no immediate need to sign Barkley or even find a replacement for him when his loan spell from Chelsea comes to an end later this year.
