Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has told The Transfer Tavern in an exclusive interview that Ross Barkley's days at the Villans could be numbered amid reported interest in Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Barkley is currently on loan at Villa from Chelsea and there had been some talk about the Midlands club potentially signing him permanently. However, amid a dip in form, that talk has since died down.

Villa are now being linked with another midfielder owned by Chelsea, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, with TEAMtalk reporting that the Villans have their sights set on the current Fulham player.

And for Hendrie, any move for Loftus-Cheek is likely to spell the end for Barkley at Villa Park. He told TT:

"If they're certainly going for Loftus-Cheek, I feel [that] rules out Ross Barkley totally. I wouldn't say he's burnt his bridges at Villa, but there's certain things that haven't gone in his favour.

"When he came in, he started like a house on fire, but you've got to maintain that, you know. You've got to continue doing it."

Villa look set to face competition in their potential mission to bring Loftus-Cheek to Villa Park this summer. According to TEAMtalk, Crystal Palace, where the English midfielder spent the 2017/18 season on loan, are also interested in striking a deal with Chelsea for his services.