In a recent report, The Daily Mail stated that Aston Villa could be in the running to land Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley this summer. It is understood that the Villans could be interested in bringing the English midfield ace to Villa Park once again after his fruitful loan spell with the West Midlands club back in 2020.
Barkley’s Sporadic Role At Stamford Bridge Last Season
Barkley was a rotational piece in Thomas Tuchel’s squad last season when failed to make himself a regular starter at the West London club. The English sensation participated in 14 matches for Chelsea in the previous campaign, netting one goal on all fronts.
The Liverpool-born playmaker proved his worth as a decent option off the bench by averaging 1.5 shots, 1.3 key passes and 1.2 dribbles per game in the Premier League. He even distributed the ball accurately from midfield after making 85.1% of his attempted passes in league football (stats via whoscored).
Is Barkley A Good Option For Aston Villa Head Coach Steven Gerrard?
Barkley can strike the ball purely and with a lot of venom which makes him a goal threat from long range. The 28-year-old has even got the vision to fashion some promising opportunities for his teammates to find the back of the net. Barkley usually operates as a box-to-box midfielder but can even fill in as an attacking midfielder if required.
The English midfield ace can make a few driving runs with the ball towards the opponent’s penalty area. However, Barkley has to figure out a way to earn more playing opportunities in the coming seasons if he wants to make the most out of the remainder of his playing career.
At 28, the Chelsea outcast is in his prime and would add more goals and creativity to Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard‘s midfield. Plus, he could help the West Midlands club push for a European spot in the Premier League over the next few years.
Barkley has got less than a year remaining in his Chelsea contract. Therefore, he will be a good option for the Villans to pursue this summer as Gerrard could potentially land him on a cut-price deal with the Blues desperate to move him on in this off-season.
