Fulham have entered the race to sign Aston Villa star Ross Barkley this summer, with Coventry City now on the back foot.

The Sky Blues have been eyeing some new additions to their squad ahead of an important summer transfer window, having returned to the Premier League after a 25-year absence.

Sunderland and Leeds United have proven Premier League survival is possible if promoted sides get their recruitment right, and Coventry have been plotting a move for Barkley, with manager Frank Lampard a big fan.

The Cottagers, on the other hand, are now very established in the top flight, having been promoted in the 2021-22 season, and they are on course to finish in mid-table, despite losing their last two Premier League matches, most recently coming up short in a 1-0 home defeat against AFC Bournemouth.

Marco Silva has stabilised the west London club, meaning moving to Craven Cottage this summer would be far less of a gamble than joining Coventry, following such a long absence from the top tier.

As such, Lampard's side are now up against it in the race for Aston Villa midfielder Barkley, with Fulham recently surging into the race for his signature, according to reporter Alan Nixon (via Football League World).

The English midfielder is set to leave the Villans when his contract expires this summer, despite receiving plaudits from manager Unai Emery for some of his performances, being lauded as "fantastic" by the Spaniard last season.

Not only does joining the Cottagers make more sense from a footballing perspective, but Nixon states they will also be able to offer higher wages than Coventry, which gives them the edge over their soon-to-be Premier League rivals in the race for the 32-year-old's signature.

The former Luton Town man, who earns £60k-a-week, is very experienced in the Premier League, making 303 appearances in the competition, and he provided five goals and five assists in 32 outings for the Hatters during the 2023-24 campaign.

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With Crystal Palace searching for a replacement for Oliver Glasner, who is set to leave this summer, former scout Mick Brown believes Silva fits the bill, saying: “He’s been at Fulham for ages, before that he was at Everton, Watford, Hull, and it feels like he is the type of manager who does best at a mid-table side.

“So somebody like Crystal Palace for example, FA Cup winners, playing in Europe, looking to be playing in Europe again next season, they could move for him. He’ll want to go somewhere where he can do more than what he’s doing at Fulham, and if one of those top clubs don’t come in for him, Palace could be a good option.”

The 48-year-old is yet to sign a contract extension, which is a problem, given that his current deal is set to expire in the summer, and he has a solid record at Craven Cottage, amassing 103 wins, 41 draws and 83 defeats in 227 matches.

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