New Aston Villa man Ross Barkley has garnered Diego Maradona comparisons and will now look to help the Villas be successful in the Champions League.
Just as it looked as though his career was stagnating, Barkley returned from a spell in France to impress with Luton Town as they put up a valiant effort while suffering relegation. The cool, calm, and collected nature of his midfield work earned him praise from all those who saw him play in the Premier League, including one of his former team-mates who compared him to the great Argentinian.
A £15million signing for Chelsea under Antonio Conte, Barkley now returns to Villa Park, where he spent the 2020/21 season on loan, and he hopes to break through into their squad for a tough upcoming campaign. Aston Villa have made a busy start to the summer transfer window as they battle to adhere to the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.
Ian Matson has joined from Chelsea, and Douglas Luiz’s sale saw promising youngsters Samuel Idling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea come the other way. Perhaps an underrated signing, Barkley moved for the small price of around £5million as he looks to further establish himself in the league he performed excellently in last season.
After a stellar display against would-be champions Manchester City last season, team-mate Andros Townsend chimed in on how the midfielder is to play with and how he’s impressed him.
Talking to Speaking on The Sports Breakfast, Townsend stated: “Honestly, they’ve been some of the best midfield performances I’ve seen in my career. It’s just unbelievable – the calmness, the ability to get the ball off the back four and knock it past some of the world’s best midfielders without a care in the world.
“We saw against Man City, Maradona was in the midfield to set up our goal – honestly, it’s been a joy to watch. In a way, he’s given confidence to the rest of the players around him, including myself.
Leave a Reply