Jack Grealish is a big fan of a player that Aston Villa are hoping to sign this summer.
Following a historic season in which Villa secured qualification for the Champions League, Unai Emery will already be thinking about which players could improve his options ahead of next campaign.
President of football operations, Monchi, will also be key to this, but Villa will have to be clever with how they go about their summer business to stay within Premier League PSL rules even with Champions League football.
One player who could represent an astute bit of business is a move for Ross Barkley, with the club reportedly exploring a move for the player expected to be available for a cut-price fee following Luton Town’s relegation.
Jack Grealish rates Ross Barkley highly
Barkley has played for the club previously, of course, having spent the 2020/21 season on loan at Villa Park.
In that spell Jack Grealish was very much the main man and the Villa youth product was key in persuading Barkley to make the temporary move from Chelsea for the season.
Speaking shortly after the move was confirmed, Grealish spoke on his own impact in bringing Barkley to the midlands before speaking on how highly he rates him as he told The Standard: “I’d been speaking to him for the past three weeks trying to get him to come, messaging him every singe day and in the end I was over the moon”
“I think he is an unbelievably talented playerand I can’t wait to get playing with him.”
“I think that is a big thing, it is a statement signing.”
Barkley a different player to the one Villa saw three years ago
Barkley has undergone something of a career revival at Luton this season.
Villa were unable to see the best of Barkley when he was at the club on loan as he endured an injury hit season and made 24 Premier League appearances according to Transfermarkt.
The England international also played primarily as an attacking midfielder at that stage in his career but has reinvented himself as a number ‘6’ under Rob Edwards at Luton.
Despite Luton’s struggles – which eventually culminated in relegation back to the Championship – Barkley has been a standout performer and has put himself back on the radar of some top clubs; some even suggesting he could make Gareth Southgate’s Euros squad this summer.
Barkley’s teammate at Luton, Andros Townsend spoke about how impressive the 30-year-old has been on talkSPORT earlier this season, saying: “Honestly, they’ve been some of the best midfield performances I’ve seen in my career.”
“It’s just unbelievable – the calmness, the ability to get the ball off the back four and knock it past some of the world’s best midfielders without a care in the world.
“We saw yesterday against Man City, Maradona was in the midfield to set up our goal – honestly, it’s been a joy to watch.”
If he were to make a return, Barkley would likely take up a role as one of the central midfielders in the side and his Champions League experience could be invaluable to some of the less experienced players within the squad.
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