Prem boss announces midfielder will be heading to Chelsea end of season
Ross Barkley will be heading back to Chelsea in the summer after Aston Villa boss Dean Smith made a transfer admission over the star.
Having struggled for regular game time as part of a star-studded squad at Stamford Bridge, a loan move was always expected to be put in place this season, and Barkley jumped at the chance to join Villa.
Across 20 outings in the English top flight for Villa, Barkley has registered three goals and one assist, but More was expected and he will face another big decision on his future when returning to west London over the summer.
Villa boss Smith told reporters when asked if an extended stay for Barkley will be explored: “No, Ross Barkley came in on loan at the start of the season.
“Obviously, Frank Lampard was the manager at the time we brokered a deal to bring him in on loan.
“He’s got another two years left on his contract at Chelsea and that’s not been discussed at all.”
Barkley is a wonderfully gifted player that has never quite reached the level of quality that many had hoped when he burst onto the scene as a teenager, but the best thing for him would be to give it one more go at the club.