Sheffield United told to be 'sensible' and swerve Aston Villa deal | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield United fan pundit shares their thoughts on a potential summer deal for Aston Villa's Ross Barkley

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Since Chris Wilder returned to Bramall Lane for his third separate spell in charge of Sheffield United, the Blades have rocketed up the table after a poor start under Ruben Selles, with the top six still faintly within distance.

With 13 games to go in the Championship season, Sheffield United sit nine points off the top six places, having clawed their way back up the division after what was, by all accounts, a horrific start to the campaign.

Had they stuck by Chris Wilder over the summer instead of giving Ruben Selles a shot in South Yorkshire, who knows where they would be? However, the past cannot be reversed, and barring a remarkable run of form between now and the end of the season, the Blades are resigned to another year of Championship football.

With their parachute payments set to expire, restrictions on their spending in the transfer market will have to be made, putting the club in an unfamiliar position in comparison to recent times.

And now, the Blades have been hit with a fresh blow heading into the summer, with their transfer pursuit of a Premier League midfielder taking a hit after it has been revealed that the club likely will not be able to afford his wage demands.

Ross Barkley could make a 'big difference' for Sheffield United, though his wage demands present a big stumbling block

Aston Villa midfielder Ross Barkley has played at the top level throughout the majority of his career, though now 32 and out of contract at the end of the season, his time at the pinnacle may be coming to an end.

A renaissance with Luton Town in the 2023/24 season sparked life back into his career after years out of the limelight, and with his minutes at Villa Park being heavily limited this season, he could be on his way out of the club.

Sheffield United are reportedly interested in bringing Barkley back to South Yorkshire, having previously spent time on loan with Sheffield Wednesday in the early stages of his career, but they appear to be priced out of a move for the midfielder, with his wage demands seemingly too high for the Blades to match, as per Football Insider.

Football League World's Sheffield United fan pundit, Jimmy, has provided their thoughts on whether they think Barkley would be a good fit at Bramall Lane ahead of a possible summer move, and whether he is a player that the Blades could benefit from having on the pitch.

Jimmy said, "Ross Barkley is a very good player, or certainly has been in his time. I think the most prominent we've seen him recently was in the Premier League for Luton, and he did make a big difference for them.

"So at Championship level, I'm sure he could have an impact, but we're losing our parachute payments next season, so I think we have to be sensible in our recruitment. It's not that he wouldn't make a difference to our side, because I think anybody in the Championship could benefit, or certainly would benefit, from a top-end Ross Barkley.

"I'm not sure if it's the route we should be going down, and I'm not sure if it's the route we will go down if I'm honest.

"We'll have to wait and see, but we're quite strong in centre-midfield, and I expect us to lose one or two in the summer, but I think we've got a really strong spine to build on, and I'm not entirely convinced he'd fit the profile.

Ross Barkley would be an excellent coup for Chris Wilder and Sheffield United if a sensible agreement on wages can be reached

With just shy of 300 Premier League appearances under his belt, Barkley will be hoping to pass that milestone before the end of the campaign, in what could be his final months as a Premier League player.

Although Villa possesses an option to extend his deal for a further year if they so wish, there are no indications at this stage that the Villains will exercise that option.

Both Jairo Riedewald and Tom Davies are out of contract with Sheffield United at the end of the season, whilst Djibril Soumare is expected to return to Braga upon the completion of his loan spell, as is Kalvin Phillips to Manchester City, leaving the Blades short in the midfield heading into next year.

Someone like Barkley, with his quality and experience, would be an excellent mentor for the likes of Alex Matos, Sydie Peck, and Ollie Arblaster, and if they are able to decrease his wage demands, the former Chelsea man would be an incredible signing at Championship level.

Having the likes of Amadou Onana, Youri Tielemans, Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn, and Douglas Luiz ahead of him in the midfield, it's no surprise that the 32-year-old's minutes have been so heavily limited this year.