Coventry City backed to land 'fantastic' Aston Villa player amid £25m Jack Rudoni exit claim | OneFootball

FLW's Coventry fan pundit shares their thoughts on the club's links to Aston Villa midfielder Ross Barkley this summer

Coventry City's next competitive match will take place in the Premier League, after the Sky Blues secured promotion back to the top flight this campaign, ending their 25-year absence.

Coventry's rise from League Two to the Premier League is finally complete, with Frank Lampard masterminding the club's promotion back to England's top division.

It's been a long time coming for Sky Blues supporters, who have seen their club enjoy a steady rise up the divisions since 2018, and now, they finally look forward to hosting some of the biggest clubs in the country once again.

A busy summer is certain at the CBS Arena, as Lampard begins to prepare his squad for the trials and tribulations of Premier League football, with the club having been linked with a plethora of players already.

A rumoured swoop for former academy star James Maddison was always bound to happen, whilst Lampard has been touted to reunite with Manchester United's Mason Mount, with the pair enjoying an excellent relationship together at both Chelsea and Derby County.

However, their links to one of Aston Villa's star midfielders could prove to be a game-changer for the Sky Blues.

Coventry told to sign Ross Barkley and opt against bringing in James Maddison and Mason Mount

Aston Villa midfielder Ross Barkley is another name that has been linked with a move to Coventry, with the 32-year-old's deal at Villa Park set to expire this summer.

Unai Emery's side has an option to extend his time in Birmingham by a further year should they wish, but given he has managed just over 1,000 minutes of league football over the past couple of seasons, he could well be on his way out this summer.

Football League World's Coventry fan pundit, Chris Deez, has shared their thoughts on the club's links to Barkley, and whether he would be a better addition to Lampard's squad than the likes of Maddison and Mount.

Chris told FLW: "I've been really against the thought of us bringing in high-profile names on big wages and big contracts.

"Players like Mason Mount and James Maddison, who would obviously be dream signings, fantastic players, but not really where we need to be looking, especially from a financial standpoint and looking ahead to what could potentially be a relegation season.

"Ross Barkley, though, on the other hand, I think could actually be a really smart move. He's only 32, so he's still got a good few years left in him, even for an outfield player. We saw what he was capable of when he went to a smaller team, no disrespect to Luton, but he went there and was fantastic. He was their best player. Nearly helped to keep them up.

"He's rumoured that he's on about £50,000-£60,000 per week at the moment at Aston Villa, so not too far out of our remit with the rumours that Doug King is going to be increasing the wage cap to £50,000 a week. So, you know, if he's happy to take a little bit of a cut, then that could happen.

"I think some of it also hinges on outgoings because Rudoni, Jack Rudoni, [he's an] absolute superstar, and we don't want to see him go. But if a big enough offer comes in for him, especially after we've heard teams like Newcastle, they were really interested in him a season ago. I've seen teams like Leeds also linked to him. If we were to get £20 million-£25 million for Rudoni, somebody like Barkley would be a perfect replacement.

"[He's got] tons and tons of Premier League experience. He knows what it's like to win. He knows what it's like to face relegation battles as well, from his time at Everton or his time at Luton. I think he'd be a fantastic signing.

"His contract is about to run out in the next month or so. If we can get him on a free transfer as well, that's a huge bonus. And it'd be a nice local move for him as well, which I'm sure would appeal to him.

"I can't imagine we'll be the only team interested, but I do hope that having the influence of Lampard, the allure of working with him, the allure of helping us to stay up and becoming a local hero, all those things could work towards him signing for us. I think it would be a fantastic signing."

Frank Lampard and Ross Barkley's previous relationship could help to reunite the pair at Coventry City

Barkley's career has been one full of 'what ifs'.

The midfielder broke through at Everton at an early age and earned comparisons to Wayne Rooney in terms of his playing style and character, eventually earning a move to Chelsea in January 2018 for £15 million.

He struggled to ever nail down a consistent starting berth in West London, even under Lampard, making 21 league appearances under the current Coventry boss during the 2019/20 campaign.

The 32-year-old enjoyed something of a renaissance with Luton Town a couple of years ago in their solitary Premier League year, but has faded into the shadows at Villa once again.

With over 300 top-flight appearances and 33 England caps under his belt, Barkley would add a huge degree of experience and quality to the side, and with him already having an existing relationship with Lampard and potentially available for free this summer, it seems a no-brainer for the Sky Blues.