Hull City fans were expecting to see Louie Barry holding up the club’s shirt after completing a permanent move.
Things haven’t gone to plan though, with Barry’s move to Hull in doubt due to Aston Villa reportedly wanting to add a 50 per cent sell-on clause and the former Barcelona academy star’s wages.
The Tigers have led the chase for Barry for all window and are keen to bring him back to Humberside after his loan was cut short four games in due to a season-ending injury.
There are still hopes that a deal can be resolved and the 22-year-old will return to the MKM Stadium, but alternatives need to be considered in the event of a worst-case scenario.
So, with that, EFL Analysis looks at three Louie Barry alternatives.
Louie Barry controls the ball as Trai Hume closes him down during Sunderland vs Hull City
Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Milos Pantovic – TSC
Hull have always liked to look overseas in the market and delve into areas where others may not try.
Milos Pantovic is a former Red Star Belgrade academy graduate who can play anywhere across the front three.
After impressing at minnows Vozdovac he signed for TSC Backa Topola in 2023 and hasn’t looked back since.
Last season he scored 10 goals in the Serbian Super Liga as TSC underperformed in a year where they struggled to combine their domestic season with their continental campaign.
A move to the Championship would be a huge step up but with 28 goals and 17 assists in 19 games for TSC, he could come in as an instant starter.
Omer Beyaz – Istanbul Basaksehir
Turkey is a country Hull regularly like to shop in due to owner Alun Ilicali’s contacts and Omer Beyaz could be a shrewd pick up for the Tigers.
After several loan spells away from Stuttgart, Istanbul Basaksehir came calling to give Beyaz a permanent home.
He made 17 appearances in all competitions so wasn’t a complete regular but has had enough experience at 21 to come in and be Championship ready.
Toni Fruk – Rijeka
Sergei Jakirovic has excellent knowledge of the Croatian League having managed both Dinamo Zagreb and Rijeka and should turn to one of his former clubs to sign Toni Fruk.
The 24-year-old registered 22 goal contributions in 33 league games as Rijeka claimed the title in dramatic fashion.
Toni Fruk celebrates during Rijeka's Conference League tie against Olimpija
Photo by Nel Pavletic/Pixsell/MB Media/Getty Images
They have a Champions League qualifying campaign coming up and the Croatian top flight to defend but landing a move to an English club could one day open up the path to Premier League football.
Fruk would be the most expensive of the three and is only an attacking midfielder so isn’t a like-for-like replacement, but given that Jakirovic was the man who brought Fruk to Rijeka in the first case, he may be able to tempt him again.