Barkley not interested in Manchester United rumours as he focuses on keeping Luton in the Premier League

Luton midfielder Ross Barkley is thinking about nothing other than keeping the Hatters in the Premier League this term, despite rumours linking him to a move to Premier League giants Manchester United once the campaign has finished.

The 30-year-old was one of the biggest names ever to arrive at Kenilworth Road in the summer and after a period of time to get his fitness back, has proved to be a truly wonderful acquisition since coming on in the 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest on October 21. It has been a welcome return to form for Barkley, as last season, the former Everton, Chelsea and Aston Villa player was having a tough time of it with French Ligue 1 side Nice where he made 27 appearances, scoring four goals, opting to return to England once 12 months had passed.

With Les Aiglons bought by Sr Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS Group in 2019, speculation of a transfer to Old Trafford have emerged in recent weeks due to the 71-year-old completing his deal to buy a 27.7 percent stake in the Red Devils and take control of football operations in February, plus Director of Sport at INEOS, Sir Dave Brailsford, who was also heavily involved with Nice during Barkley’s time at the Allianz Riviera, also joining United.

Hatters boss Rob Edwards insisted recently he wouldn’t ‘lose any sleep’ over the reported interest, and it’s not something that Barkley is going to entertain, with all his focus on ensuring Luton’s stint in the highest tier of English football doesn’t come to an abrupt end in May. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “I want to play in the Premier League. I want to play in Europe again but I'm not really focused on that now. I want to help the club stay in the league. I love the club. It's helped me so much and I owe them a lot.

"So I'm focused on that and thinking about nothing other than helping them do that. I feel like for the next three years maybe I'll still be in my prime years. I'm enjoying all the moments because I know over the last few years there's been ups and downs, frustrations and great moments. And now I feel ready to be at my best, consistent, in a great place in my head as well. I haven't had a lot of mileage over the last few years in my legs, so I feel fresh. I know it's the last games of the season coming up - but I feel like it's the start of the season."

Barkley certainly has got the mileage in his legs as he looks to start a 24th league game in a row for the Hatters at Manchester City this weekend, his 28th in all competitions, the first time he has done that since his time at Everton in the 2015-16 season when he started 32 successive top flight matches. Playing such a regular and crucial role in the best league in the world has seen Barkley rekindle his passion for the game, and reach the kind of performance levels he thought he was capable of.

He continued: “I knew I was good enough, but I just wondered whether I would ever be able to enjoy my football the way I did when I was at Everton. Now, playing the games, I'm over the moon, and match day means more to me. It's more than the frustration I would get on game day, being on the bench, warming up and not coming on, or making it on for 10 minutes. Training well and then getting one start in a cup game, doing well and then being on the bench again afterwards. It's testing mentally.

"I feel like I've coped really well with it. Maybe my head was up and down at times, but I love the game and I feel like that's really been key for me. I've had a few difficult years where I could have easily just dropped my standards but for me, it's always important to maintain them. I feel like I'm at my most confident when I'm on the pitch, I believe that I can take the ball in any position.

"Whether we get beaten or I give one ball away, it doesn't affect my game. I feel like now I've got a clear mind. I know I'm playing game after game now, I'm setting good standards for myself. I feel like now as a player, I've hit different levels through maturing over the years."

Town chief Edwards thinks the Hatters might need up to four wins to stay up, and having previously gone 10 matches without a victory and heading to the Etihad this weekend, knows that will be a tough ask. It’s why Saturday’s 3-1 victory over Bournemouth was so vital according to Barkley, as it drew them level on points with Nottingham Forest, who went on to lose 3-1 at Spurs the next day.

He said: “The result was key. We needed the win. Ten games without a win is difficult to take. We had a players' meeting, explaining how key this game was and how we are all together. It's a great group, we all bought into the manager's approach, but as players we knew we needed to win the game. Everyone spoke in the meeting and it turned out as we planned. It was a massive relief in the changing room - you saw the images of Carlton (Morris), and the manager was over the moon. It gave us confidence and belief and the players have been in better spirits this week."

Although not many will give Luton a chance this weekend, Barkley, who has spent the majority of his playing career mixing it with the elite players, also featuring in the Champions League, believes if he can get on the ball and make things tick, Town have a chance against Pep Guardiola’s title hopefuls, saying: “I believe I can compete with the top players at Man City and Arsenal.

"I'm confident enough to know what their strengths are and what their weaknesses are. I feel like I can exploit certain things but when we play Man City, they will have most of the possession so it's about what you do out of possession. We need to be in the right positions and stick together going forward. Hopefully, I can make some things happen."

Although not discussing his club future next term, Barkley does still hope to extend his own personal season beyond May, as he would still love to be a part of Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the Euro 2024 finals. Although that appears unlikely as he wasn’t named in the squad to play Brazil and Belgium in friendlies recently, Barkley will bide his time for what he hopes will one day be a 34th cap for his country, adding: “I feel like now my standards have maintained consistent levels this season.

"I'm hoping that I do get a call-up, whether that's in the summer or next season. It's a goal of mine to get back in the squad. In the position I'm playing now, I feel confident that I can bring something to the squad. The way I play now is a lot different from the way I played before in a more attacking role. So I'm confident, and hopefully a call-up does come."