Sunderland and Leeds United transfer 'target' Louie Barry may have already dropped hint over future
The attacker has been linked with Sunderland in recent weeks
Reported Sunderland target Louie Barry has seemingly hinted that one way or another, his future is likely to lie away from current club Aston Villa this January transfer window.
The 21-year-old has been recalled from a loan spell with League One outfit Stockport County by Villa, having registered 15 goals and two assists across 23 league outings this season. A number of Championship sides - including Sunderland, Leeds United, and Burnley - are said to be monitoring his situation, with the widespread expectation being that he will end up in the second tier this month.
Initially, the assumption was that Barry would once again be loaned out, but reports have since suggested that he could be allowed to leave on a permanent basis. Either way, the options available to the starlet are, broadly speaking, to stay and fight for a first team spot at Villa Park or seek a fresh challenge elsewhere.
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Given the depth of Unai Emery’s squad, however, and the lack of top flight experience that Barry currently boasts, the likelihood would be that the attacker will struggle to immediately force his way into a regular starting role in the Midlands. And in an interview with The i published back in November, the player himself made it clear that he is hungry for frequent senior minutes - suggesting that an exit of some description would suit his ambition.
He said: “I’m 21 and I’ve racked up almost 120 senior appearances. That’s what I wanted. I went to Ipswich for my first loan and it didn’t go well. I didn’t really know what I was going into. I was a young 18-year-old. I wasn’t making matchday squads and I was low, yet on the flipside I had this deep hunger that wasn’t being satisfied. So I got out to Swindon Town.
“I think people forget that I’m only 21 because my name has maybe been around for a while. Not a lot of 21-year-olds have played as much league football as me and experience comes with being on the pitch. But what has really made me mature is that I have had the lows and never want to go back there or feel that again.
“Even if you score every game, you never want to have a bad training session because you don’t want to ever experience things you have before. If I was to speak to a young player now, I’d say ‘Go out on loan – no matter how well or badly it goes, it will be better than Under-21 football’. The experience is so invaluable.”
Having started his youth career at West Brom, Barry - who predominantly operates as a left winger, but can play anywhere across a front three - signed for La Liga giants Barcelona in 2019. Less than a year later, however, he returned to England to sign for Villa, and has since been sent out on a series of loans to EFL sides. Alongside Stockport, Ipswich, and Swindon, Barry has also enjoyed stints with MK Dons and Salford City.