Aston Villa: 'Best 16-year-old in the country' in first-team training | OneFootball

Aston Villa raised a large number of eyebrows in January when they were able to land Louie Barry for a meagre fee of £880,000.

Barry, who Barcelona signed from West Bromwich Albion last summer, is one of a handful of U-23 players who are currently in training with Dean Smith and the Aston Villa first-team side.

Fellow youngsters Tyriek Wright, Aaron Ramsey, and James Clarke have also been involved.

Speaking at a Villa Supporters Trust AGM earlier in the year, Villa CEO Christian Purslow called Barry the best 16-year-old in England.

“The signing of Louie Barry from Barcelona was… sometimes in business and in sport, sometimes you need a marquee development to signal to the rest of the marketplace that we’re back in business.

“We wanted to signal to 14, 15 and 16-year-olds and their parents that Aston Villa is deadly serious about youth football. So we take the only British 16-year-old to ever be transferred to Spain.

“He didn’t settle. People have asked me this. His family are Villa mad, the kid’s Villa mad, but he went to Barcelona, joined their academy and all the management of Barcelona changed.

“Imagine, you’re 16, you’ve moved out to Barcelona and the three people who recruited you and talked you into the job aren’t there anymore – and you’re 16, away from home.

“He was very unsettled and we sensed an opportunity. I’m very grateful to Barcelona who acted incredibly professionally to basically facilitate Louie coming to Aston Villa.

“In a world of England youth football, they all know Louie because he’s the best 16-year-old in the country – and he’s just gone to Aston Villa.

“Imagine what that does for our recruitment potential. It was a statement of intent, I’m very proud of it, but judge my actions in another year’s time.”