"Step too far" - Reaction given as Spurs and Leicester City plot Louie Barry move | OneFootball

Barry has been linked to both Tottenham and Leicester recently

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Stockport County loan starlet Louie Barry has been urged not to move to another Premier League club at this point in his career, amid rumours of interest in his services from Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City.

Aston Villa loanee Barry has been one of the standout players in League One this season, with 13 goals in 17 league outings so far this term to help the Hatters in their promotion push.

The 21-year-old forward joined Stockport from Villa on loan in League Two last summer, and bagged nine in 21 fourth-tier games to fire the Hatters into League One, so rejoined the club on a temporary deal once again in August.

His impressive form this season has already seen him win both the League One Player of the Month and EFL Young Player of the Month so far, and he has attracted numerous top-flight suitors as a result of his brilliant performances.

Fan pundit plays down potential Premier League move for Louie Barry

Barry has been on Villa's books since 2021, yet a fresh report from Spanish outlet Fichajes claims that Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City are the leading contenders in the race to secure his services if the Villans see fit to sell him anytime soon.

Regardless of him being on fire in the third tier this season, FLW's resident Stockport fan pundit, James Cropper, believes that the step-up to the top flight would be too big for Barry right now, and thinks he would benefit from time in the Championship.

After we asked him if he thinks he is good enough to play for either Tottenham or the Foxes, he said: “I did see that there had been interest in Louie Barry from Spurs and Leicester. Right now at this stage in his career, I think Spurs especially would be too high a step for him.

“He’s currently playing against teams like Bristol Rovers, Shrewsbury and Burton who, in the grand scheme of things, are quite poor.

“I think the Premier League is a step too far for him right now. I’d definitely send him to a Championship team, probably a top-half one.

“I do think he is good enough for that kind of level, but not the Premier League at this point in his career.

“If he works under a manager and with players like the ones at Leicester and Spurs, then I think he could develop and become that kind of level.

“Right now, if he was put into their starting line-up, I think he would underwhelm a little bit.

“That is through no fault of his own because he has been playing in League One for the last three or four months.

“He would need time to adjust, and I reckon the Championship would be the right next move for him, if he were to leave.

“I definitely think he can become a Premier League player, and make that step up at some point, but right now? No.”

Barry would be best-served staying at Stockport for now

The Hatters were widely tipped to impress in League One this season, yet have arguably defied many expectations and currently sit fourth in the third-tier in the midst of a real push for promotion.

Barry has, of course, been key to their fortunes with his goals and assists and all-round standout play, and playing consistently at a competitive level is definitely the best thing for his development at this stage in his career.

The 21-year-old is currently on the right track to realising the high potential that saw him join Barcelona's La Masia academy as a 16-year-old in 2019, and while he is yet to get his chance at Villa, the fact he signed a new contract extension for Unai Emery's side in the summer shows that he is happy to stay out on loan and keep gaining experience before what feels like an inevitable breakthrough into the side at Villa Park at some point in the future.

While no reports suggest that a move or an approach for his signature is imminent in the January window, the interest from Spurs and Leicester right now could very conceivably develop into something further if he continues to shine over the next six weeks.

While a move to a team like Tottenham is often one that a player plying their trade in League One would not turn down, the fact that Barry is still a Villa player means that he already has a clear pathway into the Premier League, and so does not need to rush into a move.

It would be a crushing blow for the Hatters to lose their star forward, but it does feel unlikely given how well he is settled at the club, and the potential to achieve a historic successive promotion to the Championship would surely convince him to stay at least until his loan deal has ended next May.