Cardiff City must use Jaden Philogene factor to beat Leeds United, Derby County to Aston Villa deal | OneFootball

Jaden Philogene's success at Cardiff City could help a potential deal for in-demand Aston Villa forward Louie Barry

Hotshot forward Louie Barry may well represent the EFL's single hottest property ahead of the January transfer window amid intensely stiff competition for his signature, although Cardiff City have one such trump card to put on the table - and it could make all the difference.

The 21-year-old, who is contracted to Premier League side Aston Villa, finds himself the subject of significant interest amid electrifying form on loan at Stockport County and a second-tier transfer tug of war is poised to be commenced following the turn of the year.

Barry impressed at Edgeley Park during the 2023/24 season before seeing his term prematurely curtailed through injury, though he returned to Stockport on loan back in the summer and has been instrumental to their pursuit of consecutive promotions from League Two to the Championship after lifting the fourth-tier title last time out.

Chiefly from the left-hand side of a front three, Barry has ignited League One this season and remains the division's leading goalscorer with an impressive return of 14 strikes from 19 appearances, form which has placed a wide array of suitors on red alert. It has been reported that Villa are considering recalling Barry and sending him to the Championship, where he's already believed to have interest from the likes of Derby County, Middlesbrough, QPR, Coventry City and Stoke alongside automatic promotion-chasing duo Sheffield United and Leeds United, too.

The chances of Barry joining a Cardiff side currently placed third from bottom after 19 matches ahead of a third relegation battle in four seasons, then, would rightly appear slim. However, they do have a potential advantage should they decide to enter the hotly-contested race for his services.

Jaden Philogene's success at Cardiff City could help potential Aston Villa, Louie Barry deal

While Cardiff's lowly league position undoubtedly counts against them and will naturally prove prohibitive to landing certain targets in the new year, their proven track record with cultivating young prospects on loan from the top-flight resembles a more compelling case and Jaden Philogene's rich success in the Welsh capital simply must be considered.

The tricky winger joined the Bluebirds on loan in the summer of 2022 and recovered from an inconsistent start to emerge as a key performer as the season went on. Philogene was arguably Cardiff's best player during the second-half of the 2022/23 campaign and may quite well be among the most naturally gifted individuals to have turned out for the club in many a year, too.

Philogene's innate creative flair was otherworldly at times for Cardiff, who eventually reaped all the rewards - and then some - as they narrowly staved off relegation to League One, helped in no small part by the England youth international. Although Philogene only managed four league goals, both the underlying numbers and the eye test told stronger stories of his success at the Cardiff City Stadium.

He made 39 appearances across all competitions and departed a much more refined and productive player, courtesy of Cardiff's development.

The starlet then joined Hull for £5 million last summer before returning to Villa Park after just one season, and while he truly lifted off with the Tigers, Cardiff set the foundations for his development in the first place and the way in which they helped progress his career could aid any potential pursuit of Barry.

Cardiff City urgently need a player like Aston Villa's Louie Barry

Make no bones about it, Barry would represent a huge statement signing from Cardiff in the window, though it is a theoretical deal which would bring complexity and challenge. Promotion-pursuing sides will fancy their chances of landing him over the likes of Cardiff and rightly so, in all fairness, but what a deal it would be if the Bluebirds could, by some stretch, pull it off.

Barry's profile is hugely exciting and would likely ensure an unhitched transition to Championship level. He's extremely confident in one-v-one situations and possesses both the technical and athletic gifts to leave opposition full-backs to date. The one-time Barcelona academy prospect has electrifying acceleration and movement, which is blended with elegant close control to enable him to evade challenges with ease.

His raw pace can help to stretch defences, make runs in behind and break in transition too, three fundamental qualities which Cardiff's attack is sorely crying out for at the minute. It's simply too one-directional, with the absence of pace and goals in this side felt to its maximum.