Breaking: Aston Villa complete £5m transfer

Aston Villa have completed the signing of Ross Barkley from Luton Town for £5m.

The 30-year-old midfielder made 32 Premier League appearances for Luton last term, scoring five goals and recording four assists.

But following Luton's relegation back to the Championship, Barkley's spell at Kenilworth Road was cut to only one season because he wants to continue playing Premier League football following his renaissance under Rob Edwards.

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Last month, Barkley said: “I want to play in the Premier League. I want to play in Europe again … I feel like for the next three years maybe I'll still be in my prime years.”

He previously spent the 2020/21 season on loan at Villa under Dean Smith, but struggled to find the form he showed at the start of his spell after a hamstring injury.

After one more season at Chelsea, Barkley left the club by mutual consent in the summer of 2022 before joining Nice for the 2022/23 campaign.

He joins the club after Lewis Dobbin, Ian Maatsen, Enzo Barrenechea and Samuel Iling-Junior, while Tim Iroegbunam, Omari Kellyman and Douglas Luiz have all left the club at the start of the window.

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