Ross Barkley has joined Aston Villa on loan from Chelsea.

The Blues star has headed to Villa Park as he bids to revive his career after a disappointing spell at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea paid £15m to snaffle Barkley away from Everton in 2018 but he has been allowed to leave the club on a short-term deal after an aggressive summer of recruitment that saw the likes of Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech, and Timo Werner move to west London.

Barkley had been briefly linked with a move to West Ham, and The Times claimed earlier this summer that he had been proposed as possible makeweight in a deal to take Declan Rice to Chelsea.

The Daily Mirror also reported that the Irons could look to bring him in on loan as they aimed to bolster their ranks.

He made just 13 starts in the Premier League last season and has clearly been viewed as expendable by Lampard, who has now allowed him to link up with Dean Smith’s side.

Barkley worked briefly with Moyes at Everton and a reunion had been mooted, though his future has now been settled.