Aston Villa 'interested in signing' £100k-a-week star at Villa Park

Aston Villa are interested in bringing Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley back to the club this summer but face plenty of competition, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

Steven Gerrard has strengthened his side ahead of the 2022-23 campaign but with the window not closing until September 1, there is plenty of time left to complete further deals.

The 28-year-old is out of favour under Thomas Tuchel and a move away from Stamford Bridge now seems inevitable this summer.

Everton manager Frank Lampard is eager to raid his former club for Barkley’s services but Newcastle have also been linked with a move.

Barkley currently earns £100,000 per week in west London but only made six Premier League appearances under Tuchel last season.

He was previously close to re-joining the Toffees in January only for the deal to fall through in its final stages.

The midfielder spent the 2020-21 season on loan with Villa but Dean Smith opted against pursuing a permanent move.

However, Phillips has now revealed that the West Midlands club are considering another move for him this summer, but face competition from a plethora of clubs.

The journalist understands that there are a lot of teams interested in adding Barkley to their sides this summer, with Villa included.

Phillips told GIVEMESPORT: “With Ross Barkley, he’s got a lot of other clubs interested in him at the moment so it’s not just Everton. He’s got Brighton, Newcastle, West Ham and Aston Villa and Celtic. So got plenty of options to go to.”

It is hard to see how this would be a sensible move for Villa, particularly from a financial standpoint, given their current options in midfield.

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