Alan Hutton unsure about a potential Aston Villa return for Ross Barkley
We’re delighted to welcome former Scotland defender Alan Hutton as our exclusive columnist as each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Aston Villa…
Alan Hutton says that he is unsure about Aston Villa potentially returning for former loanee Ross Barkley due to financial concerns.
The former Villa hero said that while Barkley is a talented player and we did see glimpses of that during his time on loan at Villa Park, the money involved would be too high for such a risky transfer.
Barkley spent the 2020-21 season on loan and hit the ground running, scoring in the infamous 7-2 win over Liverpool on his debut, but his form quickly faded.
“I was really happy when he first signed at Aston Villa to be honest,” he exclusively told Villa News.
“We all knew what he was capable of and he did hit the ground running. We saw flashes at the start of how good he could be, but then injury came at a bad time and disrupted it for him.
“I’m not too sure about a return for him. I think with the money involved, the wages, everything, you want him to be a guaranteed success, you want him to come in and make a difference.
“I do think Gerrard is searching for that kind of player in midfield. Sanson has come back, but I think he wants that type of player who can get goals from midfield that they missed last season.
“I think he is an option, but I think money will determine it.”
Stay away
A Villa Park return for Barkley would make absolutely no sense for the club.
While he did okay during his first spell at the club, it was not enough to convince the club to move permanently for him at the time.
They replaced him with Morgan Sanson in January 2021 and with the Frenchman still being here, there is no need to re-sign Barkley.
In other Aston Villa news, Wesley has left the club to sign for Levante on loan.