All indications are that Ross Barkley is set to make a somewhat surprising return to Aston Villa, with a £5m transfer from Luton Town reportedly set to be completed at the beginning of July.
There has been a visceral reaction to this news, partially due to Barkley’s previous spell with the club during the 2020/21 season, which certain Villa fans remember being worse than it really was.
Regardless of how you feel Barkley performed back then, he is a different player now, having been transformed into a ‘number 6’ at Luton. Let’s examine what the 2024 version of Barkley will bring to Villa Park.
Strengths
First things first, Barkley is still an excellent technical footballer. He has a clean first touch and for the 2023/24 season, ranked in the 75th percentile for miscontrols among midfielders in the ‘Big 5’ European leagues.
Barkley has really good close control, keeping the ball glued to his foot, which allows him to get out of tight spots.
He is comfortable navigating the pitch with opponents close by, looking assured and finding a route out of trouble or a pass to play, without panicking or forcing the issue.
The Luton midfielder carries the ball forward confidently and can beat defenders. He ranks in the 72nd percentile for carries into the final third and the 99th percentile for successful take-ons.
As a passer, Barkley is adept at playing the ball first time accurately, which helps his team to keep the ball moving. He is a creative passer and can manipulate the ball as needed, playing passes with the outside of his foot or lifting it over opponents’ outstretched legs.
Barkley is above average in short, medium and long pass accuracy. He weighs passes effectively, placing the ball out in front of teammates so they can run onto it. The midfielder ranks in the 71st percentile for progressive passes.
He sees passes between the lines and executes them, able to find teammates in tight spaces, such as in the opposition box. Barkley ranks in the 89th percentile for key passes, the 80th for shot-creating-actions (SCA) via live ball passes, and the 64th for passes into penalty area.
The 30-year-old is capable of pinging precise diagonal crossfield passes and taking defenders out of the game. He does not hesitate to play passes with his weaker left foot, and does so accurately.
Barkley is also a strong ball striker, making him a goal threat, particularly from range. He ranks in the 93rd percentile for shots on target and the 89th for goals-minus-xG.
There is real intelligence and confidence in Barkley’s game. He moves subtly to get a yard away from opponents and receive the ball and checks his shoulder for defenders on his back.
He keeps things simple with the ball and does not force passes that are not on. Barkley looks to play one twos and combine with his teammates.
Barkley can calmly control the ball in his own box, take it past an opponent and relieve the pressure on his team. Perhaps the biggest compliment you can pay Barkley is that he consistently gets his team up the pitch, whether he is in space or not.
Defensively, he shows he can screen and cut off passing lanes behind him, or stay on an opponents’ hip to discourage passes to them. Barkley can pick up and carry midfield runners, staying with them until they are no longer an option.
He frequently scans out of possession to check for players unmarked or drifting into his general area. Barkley has a somewhat passive defensive style which could suit Emery’s Villa, who are not a high press or high energy team out of possession.
At 6’1, Barkley has the frame to compete in midfield. He shows strength to hold off defenders and keep the ball or nudge opponents off it, and uses his long legs to stretch and nip the ball away or win loose balls. Barkley ranks in the 84th percentile for ball recoveries.
Capable in the air, Barkley does his part at set pieces in both boxes. He scored two headers for Luton last season and ranks in the 70th percentile for aerial win percentage.
A bonus benefit of Barkley is his ability to take set pieces.
Weaknesses
While there are positives to Barkley’s out of possession play, this is also where most of his weaknesses lie.
He lacks some urgency and is too reactive defensively at times, not being fully engaged until suddenly he needs to intervene, by which time it is often too late. It comes across as laziness. Barkley ranks in the 13th percentile for blocks.
There are instances where he will fail to track a runner all the way, allowing them to get into the box, which can lead to goal scoring opportunities. Barkley is guilty of taking bad angles when closing down at times and can be easily turned as a result.
When watching Barkley, it can feel like he is letting the game pass him by as he allows opponents to play around him without much resistance. He ranks in the 32nd percentile for dribbles challenged and the 1st percentile (!) for percentage of dribblers tackled.
At times he could do a better job of repositioning himself to be available to teammates, rather than getting in their way.
He has a tendency to predetermine what he is doing, rather than thinking about whether it is the right decision. Sure, a raking crossfield pass looks lovely, but is it actually serving a purpose? Barkley could benefit from Emery’s coaching in terms of decision making.
Due to his confidence in carrying the ball, there is a natural risk he can be dispossessed in bad areas and land his team in trouble. Barkley ranks in the 4th percentile for times dispossessed.
For all his clear technical quality, Barkley can under-hit passes at times, even straightforward ones, as they drag along the turf.
Fit with Villa
Based on his skillset, Barkley should be able to fill multiple roles in Emery’s team.
His all around technical profile could make him a solid replacement for Douglas Luiz in central midfield, while his ability to carry the ball may lend itself to the wide left position Jacob Ramsey (and more recently Morgan Rogers) made his own.
This is not a blockbuster signing by any means, and it feels unlikely Barkley will be the preferred starter at any one position by the time the new season gets underway.
But Barkley is coming off an excellent season in the Premier League, and there is every reason to believe he will function very well in this system. He can absorb minutes throughout what projects to be another fixture-heavy season for Villa.
At £5 million, that is a no-brainer for Villa, and a smart piece of business as they begin to reshape the squad for the 2024/25 campaign.
The Villa Ramble 
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