Hatters chief executive Gary Sweet says Luton Town will be a “haven” for Ross Barkley and the rest of his career despite his transfer to Aston Villa bringing to an end his short but impressive spell at Kenilworth Road.
It was widely recognised that the 30-year-old rebuilt his career at Luton after unfulfilled spells at Chelsea and then French club Nice, having burst onto the Premier League scene as a teenager at boyhood club Everton.
He became an England international while a Toffee, but a £15million move to Chelsea in 2018 didn’t bring the personal progression that he was tipped for on Merseyside, despite domestic and European, European and World Club Cup silverware, and saw him loaned out to Aston Villa for the 2020/21 season.
But his move to Kenilworth Road last summer as a free agent, after a campaign in France, was one of the shocks of the summer as the then newly-promoted Hatters kept the transfer completely quiet ahead of their debut Premier League campaign.
Despite sparking personal performances, that saw him quickly become a fan favourite, Luton were relegated back to the Championship and Barkley was inevitably and quickly linked with a permanent return to Villa Park, who qualified for the Champions League.
In May, the fee was reported as £5million for a player, though the official move has been announced as an undisclosed fee.
After the midfielder’s exit was confirmed, Hatters CEO Sweet told the club’s website: “To have a player of Ross Barkley’s stature and class grace the Kenilworth Road pitch has been an absolute joy to watch for all of us Luton Town supporters.
“To be able to give him a home for a season and a haven for the rest of his career – he knows he can always lean on us – is an absolute win-win situation for both parties.
“Ross came here and bought into everything that Luton Town is about. He’s loved his time at the club and of course, every single one of us would choose Champions League football over the Championship, so no-one should ever question his decision to want to rejoin Aston Villa.
“We thank him for his service to the football club in the short time he has been here, and wish him every success at Villa Park and in the future.”
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