Ross Barkley of Chelsea is among six players on the transfer list. (GETTY Images)
According to Football Insider (h/t Daily Star), Aston Villa are thinking about not signing Ross Barkley on a permanent deal from Chelsea at the end of his loan spell. That would deal a bit of damage to Chelsea as they could miss out on a potential £35m transfer fee from the sale.
It was initially being said that Villa are keen to turn Barkley’s loan deal into a permanent transfer at the end of this season, given how impressive of a start he had for the club. However, the price tag that Chelsea set on him has made Dean Smith and the club reconsider their stance.
To sign Barkley, Villa would have to break their club record for transfer fees, that they paid for Ollie Watkins, by a significant amount. There has also been the case of Villa recently performing better without the on-loan Chelsea star.
It has even been said that Dean Smith is having trouble fitting the player into his side now. Barkley’s form dipped tremendously after his injury as he struggled to find goals and assists.
Finally, after a run of 8 games and one goal, he was dropped for the Leeds game. That has led to Villa having second thoughts over a transfer outlay on him. Dean Smith spoke about the possibility of a permanent transfer.
“There have never been any discussions. We contacted Chelsea at the start of the season about taking him on loan and we are thankful they allowed it. He is playing football, playing with a smile on his face and enjoying it at the moment.”
While it seemed like Barkley could make a return to Chelsea and even take a place in the side, the arrival of Thomas Tuchel and existing attacking midfield options make for grim reading for the former Everton man. It will be interesting to see what lies ahead at the end of the season for Barkley.
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