Louie Barry action will reignite Stockport County’s Aston Villa transfer dreams: View | OneFootball

The Villa forward is extremely popular at Edgeley Park

As with so many games for Stockport County in the early part of this season, Louie Barry was once again the main man for the Hatters, this time against Barnsley in League One.

The forward spent the 2023/24 season on loan with County from Premier League side Aston Villa, but missed a substantial part of the season due to injury.

Hatters owner Mark Stott was keen to get the Villan in on a permanent deal, but in the end another loan switch was agreed for this season.

However, if Barry continues to make moments as he did at Oakwell last weekend, thoughts of a permanent switch will not be far away this summer.

Barry only added to his appeal against Barnsley

It’s commonly said that fans should never fall in love with a loan player, but that ship has well and truly sailed for County fans.

And the feeling seems to be reciprocated by Barry himself.

With the Hatters looking as though they were heading for a second defeat in two weeks, Barry popped up in the box and neatly dispatched a finish in stoppage time to take a point away from Oakwell.

The equaliser will undoubtedly live long in the memory of County fans, but what may stick even longer is Barry’s reaction following his goal.

Having notched his goal, he only had one thought on his mind: running over to the away end to celebrate with the supporters of his temporary club.

But Barry is becoming a more permanent fixture around County, and he’s clearly feeling so too.

Running over to the adoring fans, he kissed the badge after climbing onto the advertising hoardings to get as close as possible to the supporters, later claiming that he felt he owed it to them as he’d ran the wrong way celebrating his goal away at Blackpool.

It’s the sort of action that makes fans fall in love with a player that little bit more, and it will only make those calling for his permanent transfer shout even louder. If it doesn’t come off next summer, it will be a painful exit for fans.

He’s been clinical early in the season

Over the course of a 90-minute game, it still doesn’t feel like Barry’s hit top gear in the new campaign.

He has not been as central a figure throughout the entire games as he was in his performances last season, but that hasn’t damaged his output in the slightest, and it won’t bother anyone if he keeps providing the goods in the way that he has been.

Having such a clinical player fall in love with a club as he so clearly has makes him an obvious fan favourite, but if he can get on the ball as much as he was doing last season, he’ll receive even greater plaudits.

If he does find another gear, it also won’t make him any cheaper next summer.

It’ll be a tough battle to keep hold of him, even past January

As Mark Stott and the powers that be at Edgeley Park found this summer, brokering a permanent deal for Barry will be no easy feat, despite the owner making his intentions extremely clear.

A solid season in the third tier, having already made significant inroads to achieving that, will send his value climbing even higher.

And that’s presuming he even completes the full term of his loan. January is a significant time for loanees as it is usually the first point in the deal they can be recalled as part of the terms of the contract.

If Barry keeps scoring at the rate he is doing, what’s to say Villa don’t want to test him in the Championship? A few goals there would send his asking price through the roof.

County fans will fairly point out that he may be best staying where he has settled and continue picking up considerable minutes, but you couldn’t blame the Premier League outfit for considering it.

There will be keen eyes on the forward’s future at Edgeley Park, but acting as he did against Barnsley will only strengthen fans’ calls for his permanent signature. It’ll be a painful wave goodbye if it can't be sorted.