In a recent interview with Give Me Sport, journalist Simon Phillips revealed that Aston Villa are among clubs hoping to sign Chelsea outcast Ross Barkley. Phillips said,
“With Ross Barkley, he’s got a lot of other clubs interested in him at the moment so it’s not just Everton. He’s got Brighton, Newcastle, West Ham and Aston Villa and Celtic. So got plenty of options to go to.”
Barkley’s Unimpressive Season At West London
Barkley had to endure a frustrating campaign at Stamford Bridge as he struggled to earn regular playing opportunities for Chelsea over the past 12 months. The English midfield ace scored one goal in 14 matches for the Blues last season across multiple competitions.
The 28-year-old caught the eye, mostly as a substitute by averaging 1.5 shots, 1.3 key passes and 1.2 dribbles per 90 minutes in Premier League football. He even took care of the ball when distributing the ball from midfield, as evidenced by his pass success rate of 85.1% in the top tier of English football (stats via whoscored).
Is Barkley A Good Option For Aston Villa Boss Steven Gerrard?
Barkley can strike the ball with power and accuracy from long range. He has even got the vision to cut open the opponent’s defence with a decisive pass in the attacking end of the field.
The English midfielder can even make a few clever runs with the ball towards the opposition penalty box. Thus, it makes sense for the Villans to move in for him during this summer transfer window as he will add some goals and creativity to Steven Gerrard‘s midfield department.
At 28, Barkley is playing at the peak stage of his playing career, so he could do well for the West Midlands club if given the opportunity to play regular first-team football at Villa Park next season.
Barkley has got a wealth of experience and won’t take much time to settle into life at Aston Villa if Gerrard can devise a way to get him on board this month. All in all, the Chelsea outcast will be a decent option for the Villans to consider before the end of this transfer window.
