Champions League club 'closing in' on ex-Leeds United & Chelsea midfielder for 'modest fee'

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A former Leeds United loanee is set to be one of the first players on the move this transfer window

Aston Villa are reportedly close to completing a deal to sign Luton Town midfielder Ross Barkley for a ‘modest fee’. The 30-year-old from Liverpool made his name with Merseyside outfit Everton as he came through the ranks at the Goodison Park club.

He played 179 times for the Toffees but before becoming a regular with Everton he was sent on two loan spells to Yorkshire, one with Sheffield Wednesday and another with Leeds United.

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He spent the first half of the 2012-13 season with the Owls before he joined the Whites on a one-month loan at the start of 2013 but after making just four appearances he was sent back to Everton. He provided one assist during his time at Elland Road, in a 1-0 win over Bristol City in mid-January.

Bengal Brasserie Arena Quarter – serving authentic Indian cuisine in the heart of the city. Proudly supporting Leeds United and the YEP.Bengal Brasserie Arena Quarter – serving authentic Indian cuisine in the heart of the city. Proudly supporting Leeds United and the YEP.
Bengal Brasserie Arena Quarter – serving authentic Indian cuisine in the heart of the city. Proudly supporting Leeds United and the YEP.

Bengal Brasserie Arena Quarter – serving authentic Indian cuisine in the heart of the city. Proudly supporting Leeds United and the YEP.

Speaking in 2016, Neil Warnock - who was Whites manager at the time - said of Barkley: “I had him on loan at Leeds, and you could never rely on him. You couldn’t give him an opposition player to pick up. But when I watch him now he looks a completely different player and I would imagine he will have a real opportunity to stake his claim for an England spot.”

Since leaving Leeds, he has signed for Chelsea and had a loan spell at Aston Villa before making a move to France with Nice. He returned to England with Luton Town last summer, but his contract length was not disclosed by the Hatters.

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The Guardian reports Villa are set to swoop for a ‘modest fee’ as they look to stay on the right side of the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules as their latest accounts showed a £119.6m loss.

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Leeds will be hoping they face Barkley and Villa next season as they are just 90 minutes away from promotion to the Premier League. Daniel Farke’s side take on Southampton in the Championship play-off final at Wembley on Sunday afternoon, 24 hours after the FA Cup final at the same venue. The Whites booked their spot in the final with a stunning 4-0 win over Norwich City in the second leg of their semi-final last week, in what was one of Leeds’ best performances of the season. Southampton beat West Brom 3-1 at St Mary’s in their second leg to secure their spot at Wembley.

If the Whites are unable to clinch promotion, they will come up against Luton Town who will no doubt be reluctant to lose Barkley after he enjoyed a fine campaign with the club in their only top-flight season. He made 37 appearances, scoring five goals and providing six assists. Barkley was linked with Leeds during 2022, with Everton and Newcastle also said to be in the running at the time. However, there seems to be little competition for Villa at the moment as they get look to strengthen their squad after qualifying for the Champions League.

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