Aston Villa prepare Sheffield United transfer action - Derby County, Hull City, Stoke City & Oxford United are on red alert | OneFootball

Louie Barry is set to spend the second half of the campaign at another Championship club

After an uneventful loan spell at Sheffield United so far this season, Aston Villa are set to recall Louie Barry and re-loan him out to another Championship side.

The Premier League club aren't short of options, as the BBC have reported that Stoke City, Derby County, Hull City and Oxford United are interested in taking the 22-year-old on loan for the rest of the campaign.

Barry has started just one league game under Chris Wilder since the popular manager returned to Bramall Lane for his third stint with the Blades in September, and has missed the last five games due to a knee injury.

Evidently signed to suit another manager's system, Barry has fallen out of favour since Ruben Selles was sacked, and injuries have once again halted him from getting back into Wilder's eyeline.

But, despite a year of stagnation after setting League One alight at Stockport County during the first half of the 2024/25 campaign, that talent exhibited at Edgeley Park still goes a long way to convincing Championship sides that he's still second-tier standard.

Aston Villa set to recall Louie Barry with Championship sides gearing up to take him in January

The BBC are reporting that out-of-favour on-loan Sheffield United winger Barry is set to be recalled from Bramall Lane and sent back out on loan once more, and several fellow Championship sides are ready to take him in, with the likely termination of his temporary deal first revealed exclusively by Football League World earlier this month.

Stoke, the side currently sitting second in the Championship, are reportedly leading the race, and Derby, Oxford and Hull, the latter of whom he spent a brief period of last season on loan at, are registering interest, too.

After being brought to the MKM Stadium by Ruben Selles for the latter half of last season, he only made four appearances before a knee injury ended his campaign.

The start of this season saw Selles bring the 22-year-old in on loan once more, this time with his new club, Sheffield United. Barry started all five league games of the Spaniard's spell in the Bramall Lane dugout, all of which ended in defeat, and he was subsequently sacked.

Since then, he's made four appearances under Wilder, before a cyst injury in his right knee saw him return to Bodymoor (Aston Villa's training ground) for treatment.

Despite him being set to return to Bramall Lane in December, he isn't expected to feature, and the Premier League outfit is ready to go a different direction with Barry's development.

Louie Barry will be eager to hit the ground running with new side in January

Barry seemingly had the world at his feet this time last year, after a 16-goal loan spell at Stockport during the first half of the 2024/25 campaign established him as one of the brighter young stars in the entire EFL.

However, injury issues and being unfavoured over the last few months have meant that the 22-year-old has played just 13 times, with no goal contributions, in 2025.

That loan spell with the Hatters in League One last season has clearly kept him in good standing, as Championship sides are still set to form a disorderly queue to secure his services when the window re-opens.

Barry will be keen to get started in a fresh environment in a few months, and he'll be champing at the bit to prove that he's ready to tackle the Championship after a couple of dud loan spells in the division.

The 22-year-old clearly has the talent if he can remain fit, and whoever does land him in the coming months will be hoping to see that in action in the latter half of the campaign.