Birmingham City eyeing surprise Aston Villa transfer raid | OneFootball

Birmingham City are interested in signing Louie Barry from bitter rivals Aston Villa.

Birmingham City have registered their interest in signing Louie Barry from arch rivals Aston Villa.

That is according to Football Insider, who claim that the Premier League outfit may be willing to allow the attacker to go out on loan in this transfer window should he be guaranteed first-team opportunities.

The Blues’ preparations for the new League One season are well underway, as the club has already been busy with several new players arriving at St. Andrew's.

Birmingham are expected to be among the favourites for promotion this season from the third tier of English football, and the club’s hierarchy seems keen to give manager Chris Davies all he needs to succeed this season.

There have been a few transfers between Birmingham and Aston Villa down the years, including a swap deal for Scott Hogan and Jota, and Barry could now be set to be the latest to join the list.

According to Football Insider, Birmingham City have registered their interest in Aston Villa attacker Barry.

The report states that Villa may be willing to let Barry leave the club on a temporary basis this summer should he be guaranteed first-team football.

Barry spent last season on loan at League Two side Stockport County, after spending the previous campaign with both MK Dons and Salford City.

The 21-year-old has been with Villa since 2020 after joining the club from Barcelona’s youth academy, having landed at La Masia from West Brom.

Barry has played in League One before, making 24 appearances in the third tier of English football for MK Dons and Ipswich, during which he scored one goal and chipped in with three assists.

During his time with Villa, Barry has had loan spells with Ipswich Town, Swindon Town, MK Dons, Salford, and most recently, Stockport.

As previously stated, Barry spent last season on loan at Stockport, as the versatile forward played a big role in the Hatters reaching League One.

The 21-year-old started the season in excellent form for County, but he picked up a hamstring injury in October that saw him miss a large chunk of the campaign.

However, he did return to Stockport towards the end of the season, and he helped the club get over the line and seal promotion to the third tier.

Overall, last season, Barry played 22 times for Stockport in all competitions, scoring nine goals and chipping in with four assists. All of his goals and assists came in League Two, as he played 20 times in the fourth tier of English football.

Louie Barry would be an excellent signing for Birmingham City

This is a deal that has the potential to upset supporters, as Birmingham City or Aston Villa don’t often do transfer business.

However, this could be a deal that does benefit both teams, as Villa gets to see one of their promising players play regular football in League One, for a side that should be gunning for promotion.

Meanwhile, Birmingham City get to add a very talented, skilled player to their ranks who could be a real difference-maker in the final third.

Barry has struggled in League One before in previous years, but given how well he played for Stockport last season, he deserves a chance once again as an improved player.

The 21-year-old could add to the likes of Alfie May, Siriki Dembele and Emil Hansson as dangerous options in the final third for Chris Davies, and throwing Barry into the mix too would frighten the lives out of many third tier defenders.