Aston Villa could do with a midfielder unafraid to shake the team up.
Joey Barton applauds fans as he is substituted
Joey Barton’s Rangers long-term career is in doubt after he was suspended for three weeks by the club, The Guardian reported.
The controversial midfielder had only been at the club for a matter of months, prior to his training ground bust up at the end of last week in which he ranted at his teammates.
This came days after a humiliating 5-1 defeat to bitter rivals Celtic.
Celtic’s Scott Sinclair with Rangers’ Joey Barton after the game
Yet if Rangers did decide to kick Barton out of the door, it is unlikely he would be short of offers, with clubs often willing to take a gamble regardless of past history.
Some Aston Villa supporters have already voiced their opinion that Barton could be a useful addition to the squad, and while there would likely be far more opposed to a move rather than in favour of it, the possibility is worth throwing out there.
If he was released by Rangers, Barton would not be able to sign with another club until January, but even so, he could have a positive effect on Aston Villa’s season should he come in.
Barton has experience playing in the Championship with QPR and Burnley, where he was voted into the league’s team of the season by his peers in 2015/16.
Aston Villa have had an underwhelming start to the season with only one league win, and on the field there is no denying Barton would improve their options and be an upgrade on Ashley Westwood.
Whether the club want to take the risk on the negatives Barton may bring is another matter, but if they are desperate to win promotion, his situation might well be worth Villa monitoring closely.
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