Chris Wilder drops Louie Barry update - Derby County and Stoke City can seal Aston Villa swoop | OneFootball

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has confirmed that forward Louie Barry's loan at Bramall Lane is set to be terminated in January.

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has revealed that the club are in talks with Aston Villa about potentially terminating forward Louie Barry's loan deal in January.

Barry joined Sheffield United on loan from Aston Villa in the summer, with the deal initially seeing him reunite with Ruben Selles, who he worked with during his temporary spell at Hull City last season.

The 22-year-old was a regular under Selles in the early weeks of the season as he started the Blades' opening five games, but his game time has become increasingly limited since the Spaniard's departure in September.

Barry has made just four appearances for United under Wilder, with only one of those coming from the start, and he has been sidelined since late October with a knee injury.

FLW exclusively revealed last month that the Blades were planning to cancel Barry's loan in January, along with the deals for defenders Ben Godfrey and Tyler Bindon, and after Wilder confirmed that Godfrey will be returning to Atalanta when the window opens, it seems certain that Barry will also be heading back to his parent club.

However, while it has not worked out for Barry at Bramall Lane, it appears he has no shortage of interest ahead of January, with his former club Hull City said to be keen to re-sign him, while Derby County, Stoke City and Oxford United have also been credited with an interest.

Chris Wilder confirms imminent Louie Barry decision that will interest Derby County and Stoke City

Speaking ahead of his side's game against Birmingham City on Saturday, Wilder revealed that Sheffield United are holding discussions with Aston Villa about ending Barry's loan early, and he explained that the forward's current injury problems and the strong competition for places in the wide areas are the main factors behind the decision.

"Louie Barry has got a bit of an issue with his knee, so we are in discussions about terminating Louie's loan as well," Wilder told The Star.

"That's obviously disappointing for him but we need fit and healthy footballers as well, with the way we play.

"He was obviously in competition with Gus (Hamer) off that side, and Cal (Callum O'Hare) and Brooksy (Andre Brooks) can play there. And financially we need to free some money up as well to use it elsewhere. Even though I have had really positive conversations with the board about their enthusiasm about backing my ambitions and our suggestions as a recruitment team to improve us in January.

"Which I think, in the position that we are in, is highly commendable, really. That they see a turnaround in the second part of the season. We need to show more of the form that we did in the last five or six games, more Stoke and more Leicester and more Sheffield Wednesday than West Brom.

"But we all know what happens in sport and sometimes it doesn't look how you want it to look. I've got to make sure that I'm on with that but they have been fully supportive, Stephen Bettis and the board, in terms of what we're trying to do."

Louie Barry deal would be a risk for Derby County or Stoke City after frustrating Sheffield United spell

Given that Barry was very much a Selles signing, it is not too much of a surprise that he has fallen out of favour at Sheffield United under Wilder, and his recent injury problems have meant that he has not had a proper chance to show the 58-year-old what he is capable of.

Barry starred during his loans at Stockport County, but after making just four appearances during an injury-hit spell at Hull last season, his time with the Blades will go down as another underwhelming Championship stint, making him something of a risky signing for another second tier club in January.

The likes of Derby and Stoke will be confident that they can get the best out of Barry if they win the race for his signature next month, but there are big question marks over whether he can perform at the level, so the forward will have a point to prove at his next loan club.