The midfielder joined Aston Villa earlier this week on a season-long loan deal from Chelsea after struggling to get into Frank Lampard’s starting eleven at the start of the season.
The midfielder is expected to play week-in-week-out at Aston Villa and was swayed by the possibility of regular football ahead of next summer’s European Championship.
But when Aston Villa initially probed the possibility of signing Barkley earlier in the summer, they did not receive encouragement from the player’s camp.
The midfielder made it clear that he wanted to stay at Chelsea and fight for a place in Lampard’s team this season.
But a month into the new campaign and with the transfer window deadline on the horizon, the cards fell right for Aston Villa.
The midfielder was struggling to get a starting eleven berth, and before Chelsea’s defeat at Tottenham in the EFL Cup earlier in the week, Barkley decided to consider a temporary move away from Chelsea.
He realised that he was unlikely to play regular football at Chelsea this season and a move to Aston Villa made sense.
Dean Smith described the capture of Barkley a coup for Aston Villa and the club could consider trying to sign him on a permanent deal next year if he makes a mark at the Midlands club this season.
