One of Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United’s Championship opponents is about to lose one of its key players.
Ross Barkley is on the verge of leaving Championship club Luton Town after reportedly agreeing a two-year contract with Premier League team Aston Villa.
The former Everton and Chelsea star joined the Hatters following their promotion to the Premier League last year, but he appears to be on his way out after the club was relegated. Luton will face Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday next season, after the Blades were relegated from the Premier League alongside the Kenilworth Road side.
Barkley is well-known among Owls fans, having had a loan spell at Hillsborough in 2012 while rising through Everton’s ranks. The 30-year-old made 13 appearances for Wednesday as an 18-year-old, scoring four goals before departing South Yorkshire. He then joined Leeds United on a one-month loan at the beginning of 2013.
He left Everton for Chelsea in 2018 and spent time on loan at Villa Park before moving to Ligue 1 club Nice in 2022. He returned to England with Luton Town last summer.
According to reports, a two-year contract with the option for a third season has been agreed upon, and Barkley will leave Luton on a free transfer after signing a one-year contract with the option for another year. However, the report indicates that a clause allows him to go for free in the event of relegation. Barkley had a successful season in the Premier League, scoring five goals and assisting four times for the Hatters.
Luton are among the early favourites to compete for promotion next season, while Sheffield United will want to rebuild after a difficult season in the Premier League. Sheffield Wednesday will have high hopes for a successful season after Danny Rohl committed his future to the club last week.
The German arrived with the Owls facing relegation despite the fact that the season was only a few months old. However, he turned things around with four wins in their last six games, securing survival and a 20th-place finish.
Rohl’s successful tenure at Hillsborough piqued the interest of other clubs, with Championship rivals Sunderland reportedly interested in signing the German. Rohl explained his choice to stay with Wednesday last week, saying, “I am delighted to extend my contract with Sheffield Wednesday.” This is a terrific club that has captured my heart, and I feel precisely the same way. It never crossed my mind to be anyplace other than Hillsborough. I feel right at home here; the fans have been fantastic, treating me and my staff with nothing but kindness since the first day.
“I’d want to thank the chairman for this chance, and now we’re delighted to move ahead and plan together for the next season. The way we finished last season was incredible; so much hard effort paid off, but we’re not stopping there. We must maintain the same level of effort and passion for the future; the chairman, I, and our amazing supporters are all ambitious.”
Read more at: https://sportupdates.co.uk
Leave a Reply