Sheffield Wednesday have been linked with a move for Stockport County's loanee Louie Barry, but Sheffield United should be looking to hijack a deal for the Aston Villa youngster.
Barry has instead been out on loan at numerous lower-league clubs, and at the age of just 21, he is now one of the standout players in League One at Stockport County. Barry has experienced varying degrees of success in loan spells at the likes of Ipswich Town, Swindon Town, MK Dons, and Salford City in years gone by.
However, he looks to have found a home in his time at Stockport since he first moved on loan to Edgeley Park last July, which has caught the interest of numerous clubs at a higher level. Now, according to The Star, the Owls are potentially set to join the race to sign the 21-year-old. They are among a 'boatload' of clubs now eyeing a possible loan move for Barry in the January market.
It is believed that a number of sides in the second tier are keeping tabs on his performances in League One ahead of a possible move this winter. It has been reported by The Northern Echo that Middlesbrough are one of those sides, with Michael Carrick’s team aiming for promotion this season.
Birmingham World have reported that Villa are set to recall the in-form attacker in January, amid reports that both Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City are interested in a permanent deal for Barry as well. Could and should Sheffield United also be in the mix in January?
Louie Barry's career so far
Unai Emery
Barry has had an interesting career to date, after he spent 10 years in the West Brom youth set-up from the ages of six to 16 before he left in well-publicised but controversial circumstances to join Barcelona's La Masia academy in 2019. The forward failed to settle in Spain and soon joined the Baggies' local rivals, Aston Villa, who he is still contracted with to this day.
He has only made one senior appearance for the club in over four years after signing for Villa in January 2020 for an initial fee of £880,000. His one appearance for their first-team to date came a year later amid COVID-19 issues in the Villa squad, as he impressed against Liverpool with his first senior goal to equalise before an eventual 4-1 loss.
Barry has kicked on even further in League One so far. He looks to be on the right track to fulfilling that potential that saw him make the move to one of the world's biggest clubs at just 16. However, this continued form will have caught the eye of his parent club, and it was always likely that Villa could be interested in cutting Barry's loan short.
Barry has excelled at Stockport , proving he's ready for a bigger challenge. Recalling him in January and sending him to a Championship club would allow him to test himself at a higher level. Villa would potentially benefit from seeing how he adapts to the step up in a move that could further develop Barry's ability and confidence, preparing him to eventually play a role in their first-team or to be sold at a higher price in the summer.
While six months more at Edgeley Park likely wouldn't hurt Barry's development, Villa may have visions of the 21-year-old playing higher up the English pyramid. If he returned to Villa Park in the January window, they would have plenty of options for next steps for the attacker, with Barry the top scorer in League One at the moment.
That has to be a positive for his confidence, with Barry currently a man playing with plenty of swagger and quality for Stockport at the moment. The majority of his 14 goals have been the same type of smashed finish from the edge of the box, which is fast becoming his trademark strike.
Louie Barry's Stockport County stats (all comps) - As Per Transfermarkt
Season
2024/25
2023/24
Louie Barry's next career steps are vitally important
Louis Barry of Aston Villa
A loan to a higher level could kick him onto new heights in his development, but it is clear to see why there is such widespread interest. Barry is an intelligent forward with excellent ball-striking, making him a threat from distance and in tight spaces. His finishing ability, especially in one-on-one situations, stands out already.
He’s also capable of shooting with either foot, which adds unpredictability to his game. Barry's off-the-ball movement is sharp and fast, constantly finding pockets of space to exploit. His agility, acceleration, and quick feet make him dangerous in wide areas or cutting inside, giving him the versatility and dynamism to thrive in multiple attacking roles.
He's confident when it comes to carrying the ball forward at opposition full-backs, and does so with real quality and strong close control, while his movement is electrifying and he possesses the natural agility to evade challenges with ease. Barry's athletic profile is hugely exciting, and his speed in behind can help to stretch defences and break in transition too.
That may well suit a side lower down the table, but the forward has quickly established himself as the best player in League One at a young age, and there is every chance that his skill-set translates to the Championship. Barry is most effective as a left-sided winger or wide forward inverting from the left, where he can cut inside onto his stronger foot and strike at goal.
That is in a front three or four, where his ability to drift centrally gives him the freedom to link up play and pose a goal threat. Alternatively, Barry thrives as a left-sided striker in a front two, where his combination of movement and clinical finishing makes him a key figure in attack, giving him more freedom to roam into the same sorts of areas he operates in as a left-sided winger.
You would imagine that the eight or nine clubs realistically capable of finishing inside the Championship's top six, and especially those targeting an automatic finish, such as the Blades, Leeds United, Burnley, Middlesbrough, and Sunderland, will be identifying the January transfer window as a strong opportunity to source additional bodies, and some of them may well be looking at Barry.
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Sheffield United could be the perfect fit for Chris Wilder and Louie Barry
Chris Wilder
Much is subject to change throughout the remainder of the season, but the promotion race is already heating up and any extra edge in the transfer market is welcome. Sheffield United should be looking at prising away the in-demand forward ahead of their promotion rivals as well as their Steel-city rivals as well.
Right now, it's easy to argue that Wilder needs additional options on the left-hand side. United are extremely well-stocked across most areas of the pitch, of course, but their options in wide areas are rather thin. That has been so much so that Gus Hamer and Callum O'Hare — two central/attacking midfielders nominally — have been forced to fill in wide-left this season.
It highlights the need for attacking depth, and Barry would be an ideal addition. The Blades have relied on Hamer to fill in as a wide forward, but Barry offers a different type of option on that flank. With his ability to play on the left and cut inside to threaten with his finishing and distance shooting, Barry could bring a new dimension to the attack.
While players like O'Hare and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi are valuable and the sort of attacking pieces required to gain promotion, Barry's directness and goal threat would give Chris Wilder a much-needed alternative in forward areas. Tyrese Campbell and Rhian Brewster can operate deeper than just playing as a centre-forward, but Kieffer Moore is very much wedded to a central striking position.
Andre Brooks is an inexperienced 21-year-old, but Barry is further ahead in his development at the same age. He ought to be one of at least two new forwards in the winter market, with depth so critical for the Blades in January. That's especially pertinent with injuries like Ollie Arblaster's season-ending setback. Arblaster is poised to miss the rest of the campaign after rupturing his ACL in their Steel City Derby victory over Sheffield Wednesday before the international break.
Hamer is versatile enough to slot back into central midfield, providing cover for Arblaster's absence, while Barry could focus on strengthening the attacking line of three. With limited options in the wide forward role, Barry’s addition would bolster Wilder’s tactical flexibility as Sheffield United push to remain competitive in the second half of the season.
Forward reinforcements are perhaps the most pressing need for the Blades, and Barry could be the most astute solution, while stopping Wednesday from adding him into their ranks in the process. He's exactly the type of wildcard, match-winning player who could come in mid-season and help the Blades kill games off and get over the line in the promotion race.