Aston Villa keen on Chelsea star Ross Barkley
According to The Telegraph (h/t Birmingham Mail), Aston Villa are interested in Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley.
The 26-year-old made his top-flight breakthrough at Everton under David Moyes. Having shown his potential with the Toffees, the England international made the switch to Chelsea in January 2018.
Despite a number of good performances, his time at the Bridge has lacked consistency. Injuries have not helped matters either, with him sidelined for 24 games since joining the Blues.
With a number of new signings to incorporate, Barkley could be set to play a peripheral role at the Bridge. Although he has played in all three games this season, two of them have been off the bench.
With the likes of Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic set to return from injury, it is difficult to see Barkley get the nod over them.
This has attracted the attention of Villa, who have enjoyed a rather impressive transfer window so far.
Dean Smith’s side has already been reinforced with the likes of Ollie Watkins, Bertrand Traore, Emiliano Martinez and Matty Cash. They have also managed to hold on to skipper Jack Grealish, who penned a new deal.
The Villans are keen to bring in another midfielder and have earmarked Barkley as that man. Interestingly, Villa have identified another Chelsea midfielder, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, as an alternative if they miss out on Barkley.
Blues fans do not appear to be keen to lose Barkley after his impressive showing against Barnsley in the Carabao Cup. The 26-year-old scored on a night that saw Kai Havertz grab the headlines.
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Barkley is an excellent option to have on the bench and offers us strength in depth. He played a key role in our run to the FA Cup final last season.
With a rise in quality around him, it remains to be seen if the player will stay and fight or move elsewhere.