Aston Villa told to speed up Ross Barkley deal with Luton Town as £30m claim made
Don Goodman has urged Aston Villa to quickly conclude a “win-win” deal with Luton Town for midfielder Ross Barkley.
Barkley impressed back in the Premier League with Luton last season, but the Hatters’ relegation means they are resigned to losing him.
The Villans are said to be confident of landing the Englishman in a cut-price deal [Fabrizio Romano] that could be worth as little as £2million – substantially lower than Barkley was once valued at.
Speaking to Villa News, Goodman said: “I think that’s the most important factor – the fact they don’t have to pay up to £30m for a player who in his prime was worth more than that.
“We saw this season that he can still cut it in the Premier League. He’s obviously also had the experience of previously being on loan at Aston Villa, where he had an enjoyable experience.
“For me, it’s a win-win. There’s no possible way Luton can keep him while they’re in the Championship.
“If Aston Villa can go and get Ross Barkley firing to the levels we saw at Luton this past season, it would be daft not to make that deal work as soon as possible.”
Ross Barkley to Aston Villa transfer makes perfect sense
Qualifying for the Champions League has understandably made supporters excited with regards to who could be arriving at Villa Park this summer.
However, the whole PSR situation means that £30m signings are not possible – even players for half that amount, in fact.
Barkley had a successful 2023-24 campaign in a rather poor Luton side, showing that he is still more than capable of playing week in, week out if required.
Unai Emery is unlikely to start the 30-year-old in every game, but he is a really strong squad option to have when balancing European and domestic football once again.
If he is indeed available for as little as £2m, with his wages also not likely a big factor, it really is a no-brainer.
In other Aston Villa news, a transfer expert believes a Chelsea player would accept a move to Villa Park this summer.
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