Derby County should take transfer "punt" - John Eustace can succeed where Hull City & Sheffield United failed | OneFootball

FLW's Derby fan pundit has given his verdict on links to Louie Barry ahead of the January window

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…

Derby County are among the sides keen on a deal to sign Louie Barry on loan from Aston Villa in the upcoming January window.

According to the BBC (09.35), the Premier League side are set to recall the forward from Sheffield United in the winter market in order to seek regular game time for him elsewhere.

Barry has made nine appearances in the Championship so far this season, with the 22-year-old struggling for consistent minutes under Chris Wilder.

He spent time on loan with Hull City in the second half of the previous campaign, but injuries limited him to just four games after he had impressed during stints with Stockport County in both League Two and League One.

But Derby face competition for his signature in the new year, with Stoke City, Oxford United and the Tigers all also vying for the youngster.

Derby County encouraged to sign Louie Barry

When asked about a potential deal for Barry, FLW’s Derby fan pundit Shaun Woodward claimed it could be a smart piece of business, especially given the injury to Carlton Morris, and general fitness issues of Rhian Brewster and Corey Blackett-Taylor.

While the loan moves to Hull and Sheffield United haven’t worked out, he is hopeful that someone like John Eustace could figure out how to get the best out of him, especially as he is still only 22.

“Louie Barry’s clearly a talented young man, he’s showed what he’s about at Stockport, albeit in League Two and League One on loan,” Woodward told Football League World.

“He had a lot of interest from clubs off the back of that.

“It hasn’t worked out for him at Hull or at Sheffield United, but he’s young.

“The step up to the Championship is a big one, as a lot of players find, especially the young players, and some players just don’t suit certain teams or systems.

“He can come to Derby, John Eustace get an arm around him, get a tune out of him and he could be a really, really good player for us in the second half of the season, and give us that little bit more quality in the attacking third.

“Without Morris, Brewster not fit very much, Corey Blackett-Taylor not fit very much, he could be someone that could come in and be around the first team and get some minutes for us and really thrive.”

Woodward also believes that it would be a relatively risk-free signing because the upside of him working out is quite high, and the downside would be that he just goes back to Aston Villa in the summer anyway.

“So I think it’s worth taking a punt on somebody like Louie Barry, he’s clearly talented and he’s got a lot to offer,” he continued.

“It’s just he’s got to have the right environment to thrive in and fingers crossed that’s at Derby.

“Because it’s worth taking a punt on someone like him.

“If it works out great, if it doesn’t then he goes back to Villa.”

Derby are enjoying a strong run of form that has lifted them into play-off contention, with games now coming thick and fast as part of the festive period.

Louie Barry needs a move that guarantees regular game time

Eustace could be an ideal coach to help get the best out of Barry again after he has struggled to adapt to life in the Championship.

He has a proven track record of getting good performances from players that have otherwise not been at their best, with even Morris this season proving an example of that after his underwhelming final campaign with Luton Town.

So this could be a move that works out for all parties, with Aston Villa hoping to find a club that can help develop Barry.