Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has ruled out a permanent move for Ross Barkley at the end of this season.

The 27-year-old attacking midfielder has been on loan at Villa, but his form has been quite underwhelming in recent months.

After making a promising start, Barkley is now struggling to hold down a regular starting berth, and it is no surprise that they are not keen on signing him permanently.

Barkley was recently a substitute for the eighth consecutive game when he came off the bench against Manchester City.

Smith has now revealed that there are no talks scheduled with Chelsea regarding a permanent move.

He said (via Mirror): “No, Ross Barkley came in on loan at the start of the season.

“Obviously, Frank Lampard was the manager at the time we brokered a deal to bring him in on loan.

“He’s got another two years left on his contract at Chelsea, and that’s not been discussed at all.”

There is no doubt that Barkley can be a quality Premier League player, but his inconsistency has been a major problem since leaving Everton.

He is unlikely to be a key part of Thomas Tuchel’s plans at Stamford Bridge and may have to leave on loan again or permanently in the summer.

He needs to join a club where the manager trusts him and will give him the regular game time he needs to regain his form.

The player has recently been linked with West Ham United, and working with his former manager David Moyes could do wonders for his confidence.

The Hammers boss recently played a key role in helping Jesse Lingard bounce back to form, and he could have a similar impact on Barkley’s game next season.

Read: Aston Villa linked with a move for a 12-goal star.