Birmingham City could land £10m Aston Villa starlet in stunning Hull City transfer hijack.
Birmingham City have been linked with a controversial move for Aston Villa forward Louie Barry this summer, and they may need to act quickly if they want to beat Championship rivals to his services.
Chris Davies is looking to improve his options on the flanks this transfer window, and Barry, who was once a member of Barcelona’s youth ranks, is being considered as a genuine option.
The 22-year-old is said to have impressed Birmingham’s recruitment staff with his performances on loan at Stockport County in the first half of last season.
Barry conquered League One, scoring 15 goals and assisting three times in 23 games before being recalled by Villa and loaned to Hull City in the division above. The forward had only recently settled in at the MKM Stadium when he sustained a catastrophic knee injury on his fourth appearance, terminating his season prematurely.
Birmingham City must hurry to sign Louie Barry
If the Blues want to sign Barry, they must act soon, since several Championship clubs, including Hull, have indicated interest. According to Hull Live, the Tigers are making headway in their pursuit of Barry, with negotiations with Villa on a permanent signing allegedly starting.
The Villans need to generate cash before June 30 since they are struggling to achieve the Premier League’s profit and sustainability standards (PSR), thus Barry’s departure could happen before then. Hull appears to be winning the race at the present, but Birmingham has just enough time to pull off a surprise takeover.
Football Insider reported back in the winter that Celtic saw a £10 million bid – inclusive of £5 million in add-ons – rejected for Barry. If that was true, then Villa would probably be looking for an offer a little in excess of that, or with fewer performance-related bonuses.
Would Louie Barry say yes to Birmingham City?
Barry joining Birmingham on loan from Villa would make little sense for either party, as the Blues would not want to assist develop one of their arch rivals’ players, thus a permanent trade would be the only feasible option.
Even yet, there are a few issues that remain. Moving players between bitter rivals Villa and Blues is typically frowned upon, and properly so. However, transfers between the two teams have not been fully ruled out, since many have taken this way. Craig Gardner, Gary Gardner, Curtis Davies, Liam Ridgewell, and Scott Hogan have all made the switch in the last two decades, for example.
But there is another complication. Barry, from Sutton Coldfield, grew up supporting Villa. Even if he is able to remove the emotion from his decision, the Villa fandom may be difficult for both groups of followers to overlook. Putting aside rivalries, Barry may be an excellent addition to the Blues.
He is quick, agile, has an excellent passing eye, and is a clinical finisher. He can also play on either wing or in offensive middle. That level of versatility is exactly what Birmingham is searching for. It just relies on the elephant in the room and whether all parties can overlook it.
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