Luton Town have signed midfielder, Ross Barkley on a free transfer from Nice.
Barkley left Nice upon expiration of his contract in June despite having scored four goals and created two assists in 28 appearances across all competitions.
The 29 year-old has opted to return to England to revive his career after he previously endured five difficult seasons at Chelsea, during which he scored 12 goals in 100 appearances but spent most of the 2020-21 season on loan at Aston Villa where he netted three goals in 24 outings.
Explaining his unexpected move to Kenilworth Road, Barkley praised their story as he explained: “Why Luton? Going from the Conference to the Premier League is a great story and for me personally to be back in the Premier League, it’s great motivation.
The 29 year-old also iterated that he is eager to bounce back after enduring a frustrating few years of limited game time, as he added: “I’m still relatively young and over the last couple of years I’ve not played as much as I’d have liked.
“But I’ve reserved a lot of energy and looked after myself, so it’s great to be here now as I’ve got a lot to show but I’m ready and feeling motivated.”
Manager, Rob Edwards meanwhile spoke of Barkley’s experience and quality as he said: “Ross brings loads of experience at the top level, has international experience and brings an x-factor.
“He gives us something different, he has that ability to make something out of nothing and we need that in the Premier League. He’s got all the tools required to make a difference for us.
“It’s really exciting for the football club. We want the fans to be excited and they should be about Ross’ arrival.”
Barkley will wear the number six shirt and is expected to be available to make his debut in the Hatters’ away trip to Brighton on Saturday (12 August) subject to international clearance.
Barkley previously began his career at Everton where he scored 27 goals in 179 appearances amidst loan spells at Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United, and has represented England internationally with six goals in 33 senior appearances between 2013-19.
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