Stan Collymore asked on Twitter whether Aston Villa should keep Ross Barkley

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Stan Collymore has suggested on Twitter that he would not look to keep Ross Barkley at Aston Villa next season – unless the Villans were able to secure a hefty discount.

Barkley is coming towards the end of his loan spell with Dean Smith’s side. It was a spell that threatened to deliver a lot, but has fizzled out quite depressingly.

Smith has already suggested that he expects Barkley to return to Chelsea in the summer (via Birmingham Live).

Barkley was an unused substitute on Sunday as Villa were beaten by Crystal Palace. And following the game, Collymore was asked whether he would look to sign the 27-year-old permanently.

Interestingly, the former Villa man suggested that the door would not necessarily be shut…

You can completely understand why Smith has seemingly ruled out a move. Three goals and one assist is simply not enough for a player who is earning around £96,000-a-week.

Villa have shown a lot of promise over the course of the campaign. But it does not feel that Barkley is going to be the kind of player who is going to take the club to the next level.

As Collymore suggests, a move may be worthwhile if Chelsea drop their asking price considerably. But without the price plummeting, Villa are surely right to look elsewhere.