Reports: Aston Villa interested in signing Ross Barkley from Chelsea on a permanent deal 

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in signing Ross Barkley permanently from Chelsea once his loan deal at the club comes to an end this season. The midfielder joined the Villains from the Stamford Bridge outfit in September and he has proved his mettle at Villa Park in the current campaign.

So far, the midfielder has made just nine appearances in all competitions, with injuries severely hampering his contributions to Dean Smith's side. However, Barkley has showcased his abilities on the occasions when he has played, with three goals and an assist in all competitions.

Aston Villa can confirm that Sunday's scheduled Premier League fixture with Everton has been postponed.Our fixture with Newcastle United, which was postponed as a result of a similar outbreak at their training ground, will now take place on Saturday, January 23 at 8pm.

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) January 14, 2021

Barkley scored two goals in his first two games for the Birmingham side and was in fine form until a hamstring injury disrupted his progress. The 27-year-old has suffered from injury problems for most of his career and this limited his playing time at Chelsea.

However, despite this, Aston Villa are reportedly interested in signing him permanently in June. Barkley's parent club, though, are not willing to let him go for cheap, as he still has two years left on his contract at the West London club.

It remains to be seen whether Villa will meet Chelsea's asking price, as finances around the footballing world have been massively hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chelsea looking to get back on track after poor performances in December

Chelsea have been inconsistent in recent weeks.

Chelsea's spending spree last summer put them among the pre-season favorites to win the title but things have not panned to plan at Stamford Bridge. The Blues endured a poor run of form in December, which saw them spiral down the table. They were also outplayed by Manchester City in their first league game of the new year.

Full-time!A confident display as we progress into the next round of the @EmiratesFACup 🏆 🔵4-0 🔴 #CHEMOR pic.twitter.com/bwLvzYEcTe

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 10, 2021

However, the team got back to winning ways with a 4-0 victory over League Two side Morecambe in the FA Cup. Frank Lampard will now be hoping his side can kick on from that victory to get back on track in the Premier League.

Up next for the Blues is a trip to Craven Cottage for a West London derby against Fulham. The Cottagers are currently unbeaten in five league games as they begin their fight to escape the relegation zone. Chelsea will have to perform at an optimum level if they are to get anything from Scott Parker's side.