Aston Villa ‘agree’ £5m deal to sign former Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday midfielder

Aston Villa have reportedly agreed a £5m deal to sign former Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Ross Barkley from Luton Town.

The playmaker has resurrected his reputation in the Premier League, having enjoyed a stellar season at Luton despite their relegation to the Championship. He now appears set for a return to Villa, who he previously represented as a loanee during the 2020/21 campaign.

He was on Chelsea’s books at the time but struggled to make an impact at Stamford Bridge, eventually heading to Nice in France in search of regular football. Luton brought Barkley back to England last year and he quickly established himself as a key figure for the Hatters.

According to talkSPORT, a move to Villa is expected to go through shortly after an agreement was struck. If the move is indeed completed, more impressive displays in the top flight could potentially push the 30-year-old back into England contention.

Barkley was nurtured within Everton’s academy and loaned out to Yorkshire twice as part of his development. He had an impressive spell on loan at Sheffield Wednesday before making a handful of appearances under Neil Warnock at Leeds United.

He has spoken of his desire to play at the highest level and in April, declared his intention to feature in European competitions. He said: “I want to play in the Premier League. I want to play in Europe again but I’m not really focused on that now.

“I want to help the club stay in the league. I love the club. It’s helped me so much and I owe them a lot. So I’m focused on that and thinking about nothing other than helping them do that.”

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