Aston Villa in advanced talks over midfielder deal
Villa are in talks to make Ross Barkley their first signing of the summer.
The 30-year-old midfielder is currently at Luton and available for a relatively low fee following the Hatters relegation from the Premier League.
Villa are eager to strengthen this summer ahead of next season’s assault on the Champions League but will initially be restricted by the need to comply with profit and sustainability (PSR) rules, with the signing of Barkley considered a shrewd early move.
The former England international, who spent the previous campaign with Nice, enjoyed an impressive season back in the Premier League despite Luton’s relegation and has also been linked with Manchester United.
He is well-known to Villa supporters, having made 24 appearances for the club during the 2020-21 while on loan from Chelsea.
Barkley scored three goals in that spell, the first of them on debut in the famous 7-2 win over Liverpool but after a strong start he struggled with injury and inconsistent form.
Villa boss Unai Emery has warned the club must be “intelligent” in the transfer market due to the position with PSR.
The club made a loss of nearly £120million in the 2022-23 season and another large deficit is expected for the current campaign, with the expectation they will have to sell at least one big-name player this summer.
