Aston Villa are ‘still interested’ in signing Chelsea’s Ross Barkley this summer, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

The Lowdown: Surplus to requirements

Barkley, who Frank Lampard described as 'first-class' back in 2020, is into the final 12 months of his Stamford Bridge contract.

The attacking midfielder is reportedly free to find a new club which would bring an end to his four-and-a-half-year stay with the Blues.

Villa took the 28-year-old on loan for the 2020/21 campaign, and it appears as if Johan Lange is keen on bringing the player back to the Midlands.

The Latest: Phillips’ post

Phillips took to Twitter on Saturday afternoon to provide an update on Barkley’s situation.

The journalist, who linked Villa with a move last weekend, confirmed that Steven Gerrard’s side are ‘still interested’ in a transfer but face competition from the likes of Brighton, Newcastle, West Ham and Everton, while Celtic have now made a ‘permanent’ offer.

The Verdict: Avoid?

Barkley has scored 52 senior goals for club and country during his career, three of which came when playing for Villa. However, Gerrard seems fairly well-stocked when it comes to attacking midfielders with Philippe Coutinho and Emi Buendia, so a move for Barkley doesn’t appear to be crucial.

The club could be better off looking to bolster their central midfield or centre-forward ranks instead, with Gerrard using a 4-3-1-2 system in the win over Everton.

Should he continue with that system, you could argue that Barkley would be third choice behind Coutinho and Buendia, so may not get much game time.