Aston Villa have signed midfielder Ross Barkley on a season-long loan from Chelsea.
The midfielder had fallen down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge and was looking for regular first-team football ahead of the delayed Euro 2020 campaign next summer with England.
And he will be given an opportunity to do so at Villa Park after completing his temporary switch on Wednesday.
‘The last couple of years I’ve been stop-start, performing well and then being out of the team,’ Barkley told Aston Villa’s official club website.
‘To come here and have the chance to play and perform regularly is a big thing for me. With the Euros at the end of the season, it’s a big target for me and hopefully I can be there.
‘Dean Smith swayed me with the way he spoke to me, and it looks like it’s going to be an exciting season.’
Villa manager Smith is delighted with the arrival of the 26-year-old.
‘Capturing a player of Ross’s quality is a real coup for our club and I am certain he will thrive here and improve our team,’ Smith said.
Barkley is cup-tied for Thursday’s Carabao Cup visit of Stoke as Villa, beaten finalists last season, look to reach the quarter-finals.
Jack Grealish has starred in Villa’s unbeaten start to the season and Barkley revealed the Villa skipper played a part in convincing him to come to the club.
‘We’re mates off the field and we know each other well,’ he continued.
‘We’ve spoken previously and I’m looking forward to playing with him.
‘I’ve spoken to him over the past couple of weeks and he’s been telling me about how good the club is and how welcomed I’d be when I came here.’
Barkley moved to Chelsea from Everton in January 2018 and has made 86 appearances for the Blues, scoring 11 goals. However, he had started just 28 Premier League in that time. This season he had featured three times across the top-flight and Carabao Cup, scoring once.
Villa have won their opening two Premier League games and Barkley could make his debut against Liverpool on Sunday.
The Midlands club have already broken their transfer record to sign Ollie Watkins from Brentford in a deal worth up to £33million, and snapped up Bertrand Traore from Lyon for £17m earlier this month having spent £20m to bring goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez from Arsenal.
