One Championship team that would greatly benefit from acquiring Louie Barry in January is Norwich City.
Over the past week, the Aston Villa winger, who has spent the last season and a half on loan at Stockport County, has been in the news. It began when Birmingham World reported that Middlesbrough was interested in signing the 21-year-old and that Villa planned to recall him from his current loan spell in the new year.
Then, according to two different stories from The Star, Sheffield rivals United and Wednesday were reportedly interested in completing a short-term deal for Barry in January.
The youthful attacker, who primarily plays off the left wing for the Hatters, might be the ideal alternative for Norwich, whose star winger Borja Sainz has reportedly reached an agreement with Galatasaray in anticipation of a transfer in the first month of 2025, according to Turkish publications.
Norwich is regarded as a powerful city. Louie Barry, destination for the championship
If Barry were to be called up from his current loan stint with Stockport, former England player Carlton Palmer told Football League World that Carrow Road would be a wonderful place for him to go because of Sainz’s interest and the style of play.
The commentator did, however, add that he would personally rather watch the young player finish out his planned time in Greater Manchester than make the abrupt move to the second division.
“I don’t know where this talk (of Barry being recalled and then sent to a Championship club) is coming from,” Palmer stated. “It hasn’t been rubberstamped yet, and it hasn’t come from Aston Villa either. Additionally, I’m confident that Louie Barry has a loan with Dave Challinor and Stockport through the end of the season.
“I believe it’s too soon, but they (Villa) can call him back if they so choose. His relationship with Stockport is going great. 17 appearances, 13 goals. With their current standing in fourth place, they stand a very excellent chance of making it to the playoffs or beyond.
“You send a young player on loan for the exact reason Barry is doing it.
“Listen, he can work at most Championship clubs because he scores goals, has good speed, runs between the lines, and gets in behind. In the event that you decide to send him out on loan, you want him to join a team that plays similarly to your preferred style.
Would those elite teams be able to provide him with consistent first team football? You wouldn’t want him to finish last in the league. They wouldn’t, in my opinion, right now.
Additionally, you must use caution in his development. He missed some time with Stockport last season due to a hamstring issue. I believe it would be best for him to remain in League One, but you have to be cautious with his growth.
“But if he joined a Championship team, like Sheffield Wednesday, who are currently in the middle of the table, he might be able to push for a play-off spot. I know I’m going overboard because, considering what happened last season, staying up this season would be a fantastic accomplishment for Danny Rohl, but if Rohl, who prefers young players, saw Barry’s style of play—pressing from the front, getting in behind, and scoring goals—it might be a win-win situation for Wednesday.
Nevertheless, he might be useful to many clubs in that division. Norwich, for example, may lose a player (Sainz) during the January transfer window. Louie Barry is the kind of player that some of those teams, like Norwich City, who are just outside the play-off spots, could use.
“But, like I said, I would like to see him remain at Stockport until the end of this season.”
