Aston Villa have been linked with Ross Barkley ahead of the summer transfer window, with renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano now identifying the two reasons why Unai Emery wants to sign the midfielder.
The 2023/24 season ended remarkably for Aston Villa, who confirmed a fourth-place finish in the Premier League with one game to go.
As well as navigating the Premier League expertly, Unai Emery led his side to the semi-final of the Europa Conference League however, next year will present even bigger things for the Villans.
Having finished fourth, Villa secured a spot in the 2024/25 Champions League, giving Emery and Monchi a task over the summer to get the current squad up to the standard required to compete amongst Europe’s elite.
As the summer transfer window fast approaches, Villa have been linked to several potential new signings, with Luton Town midfielder Ross Barkley emerging as a surprise target.
Fabrizio Romano explains why Aston Villa want to sign Ross Barkley this summer
On Monday, journalist Alan Nixon revealed that Villa have ‘spoken to’ Barkley over a potential move in the summer, however, it was claimed that the 30-year-old is holding out for a potential offer from Manchester United.
Now, Fabrizio Romano has shared his insight on the speculation by sharing two reasons why Emery and Monchi are ‘pushing to sign’ the former Villa loanee.
“Unai Emery, pushing to sign Ross Barkley as his quality and experience are considered interesting for Aston Villa next season.”
When Dean Smith rejected the chance to sign the Englishman permanently after his loan spell at Villa Park following the 2020/21 campaign, not many would think that the club would be now pushing to acquire his signature.
Ross Barkley could be the ideal Unai Emery signing
‘Quality and experience’ are the two factors that Romano claims have won Emery over in his bid to sign Barkley, who has had an impressive season on his return to the Premier League.
Recording nine goal contributions over the season for Luton saw the midfielder reannounce himself to the English top flight however, after suffering relegation, the Hatters’ star player will likely move on in the summer.
Being one of the best ball-carrying midfielders in the Premier League, ranking in the top 4% of midfielders for his average of 2.27 successful take-ons per 90, via FBref, Barkley certainly fits the demographic of players Emery likes.
Perhaps the former Everton ace wasn’t expected to be the first name on the list of targets for Villa to follow although, there’s little to suggest that the Englishman would fail in the boss’ system.
In what could be a low-cost and low-risk move, Emery and Monchi could add to Villa’s depth with an experienced and high-quality midfielder in a transfer swipe that makes a lot of sense.
