Stockport County land Louie Barry steal thanks to this crafty Aston Villa clause | OneFootball

Stockport County’s Louie Barry deal is the cherry on top of an eye-catching winter window

Stockport County have landed an incredible, near risk-free Louie Barry deal thanks to one important loan-deal clause.

The Aston Villa winger sensationally returned to Edgeley Park for a third loan stint on deadline day, after a difficult temporary spell at Sheffield United.

He arrives back at the club currently nursing an injury, but thanks to some crafty work from the Hatters, they will not be assuming any of the risk associated with that.

The move, along with some strong recruitment across the rest of the squad, sees Dave Challinor’s side shaping up nicely ahead of an important promotion chase.

The clause that makes Louie Barry’s move to Stockport County so good

Barry is not going to have the instantaneous impact in SK3 that he’s managed in the past because he arrives at the club this time recovering from a knee operation.

In any normal loan deal, where clubs assume some responsibility for the player’s wages and often pay a fee, this would seem like a strange burden to take on.

However, according to journalist Sam Byrne, in this deal, the Hatters will not pay any money for the deal until Barry plays 45 minutes for County.

That means that unless the 22-year-old gets to a point where he can impact the League One side, County will be no worse off, but with perhaps a lot to gain if he comes back just in time for a potential play-off or promotion run-in.

The move has been described as a “bonus” signing, on top of the recruitment work the club has already done.

When Stockport County may get to see Louie Barry in action

On signing, Challinor said: "Louie is stepping up his rehab and should be back running in the coming week or so.

"All things being equal, we may see him back out on the pitch somewhere around the middle of March.

"If it’s quicker, fantastic, if it’s not, then so be it. We are doing this as a ‘possibility’ signing, but are very clear as to what could or could not happen."

At that stage, there could be as many as 10 games left for the Hatters to play, with 30 points on the line; plenty of time to make a big difference on the club’s campaign.

And with an incredible 32 goal involvements across 46 outings for County, those inside Edgeley Park know only too well what a difference-maker he can be.

Louie Barry signing tops off an incredible window for Stockport County

That loan signing, of course, took much of the limelight, but it shouldn’t detract from the top work done by the recruitment department elsewhere.

The same window also saw the return of striker Tanto Olaofe on loan from Charlton Athletic, the 26-year-old having offered plenty to the Hatters in the past, and whose pace, strength, pressing and sharpshooting are all qualities that have been lacking slightly in Challinor’s squad.

There was also the loan move for fellow Championship attacker Josh Stokes from Bristol City and the long-awaited temporary switch of Roman Dixon from Everton.

Elsewhere, the permanent signing of Josh Dacres-Cogley addresses a long-standing issue at right wing-back, with the former Bolton Wanderers man already looking a breath of fresh air in that position, and the intriguing signing of Adama Sidibeh, who has risen from non-league in recent years and made an impression in Scotland.

The Hatters currently sit fourth in League One, but have a game in hand on Bolton in third, and are only eight points off league leaders Cardiff City, who they drew with away from home in January.

Stockport have hit form in recent weeks and, coupled with the business they’ve done this winter, look set for an exciting end to the season – with the shrewd Barry deal just an added, but potentially important, extra.