This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...
Coventry City are hoping to become a team revitalised under Frank Lampard, and the former Chelsea and Derby County manager has quickly set about implementing his style on the team.
He has come to the club at the opportune time, with the January transfer window less than a month away from opening, and he will be given the chance to bring in the players that he needs to develop his squad further.
One player that he is already keeping tabs on is Louie Barry, with the 21-year-old the subject of interest from multiple clubs in the Championship.
He is currently on loan at Stockport County from Aston Villa, but his parent club are hoping to send him to a second tier side in January to allow him to progress further, and Coventry could be the perfect place for that to happen.
Coventry told to make Barry deal happen
The Sky Blues have had a difficult season, and the sacking of Mark Robins in November did come as a shock. However, there is now renewed hope that the club can climb up the table towards the top half.
Mark Robins in charge of Coventry City against Spurs
To do that, they will need more consistency, especially in front of goal, and that is something that Barry can provide.
Football League World has asked their Coventry fan pundit, Ryan Murphy, if he believes that Lampard's side should chase a deal for the 21-year-old.
He told FLW: "Louie Barry's obviously a hot prospect that's doing well everywhere so far in his early career, and rightfully all the top end Championship sides would be after someone like that to come in and give them a bit of a boost and energy over the January period onwards.
"We have Mark Delaney as part of our coaching staff who has not long joined us from Aston Villa, so he would know him from those days and, obviously, someone like Frank Lampard could be ideal for passing on his experience to a young attacking player as well. So, it could be a good fit for us, and it could be something that he would be excited about joining and playing for a club like Coventry rather than a club that's at the very top end of the Championship."
louie barry
Ryan continued: "With Haji Wright being out injured, we’ve only had Ephron Mason-Clark available, so, when you look at the bench, it has been pretty weak. Once we've got a couple of injuries, we've only got fringe players like Fabio Tavares on there that can play out wide.
"So, I'd imagine when Wright’s back he could play up top, and then you’ve got Mason-Clark out wide, or you could have Barry. Either way, you're going to have a decent option to come off the bench.
"So, it would be a good fit for us and I definitely would be excited about that one and Barry is someone we should definitely be interested in."
Barry would excel under Lampard
Lampard has a strong history of developing young players on loan, with the Chelsea and England legend excelling at this during his time with Derby in the 2018/19 season.
He brought in Harry Wilson, Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount from the Premier League for the campaign, and they developed greatly at Pride Park, with all three going on to have top flight careers after they left.
Frank Lampard, Harry Wilson
Villa must acknowledge this as a strength of Lampard, and it could lead to Barry's destination in January being the CBS Arena. The forward is already the League One top scorer, and he could help lead the Sky Blues' fightback in the second-half of the season.
Louie Barry Stockport County Stats (FotMob)*
Appearances (Starts)
Minutes Played
Goals (Assists)
xG
Shots (On Target)
Dribbles Completed
Pass Accuracy
Touches (In Opposition Box)
Recoveries
*Stats correct as of 11/12/2024
Beating the likes of Middlesbrough to a deal will be difficult for Coventry, but if they can offer consistent game-time, then there is no doubt that they will be in with a chance of bringing Barry across the West Midlands.
Jake Bidwell & Jamie Allen (split image) Related
The Coventry City players who may sign a pre-contract agreement away from the CBS Arena next month
The players that can negotiate their Coventry City exit from 1 January