Stockport County may have to repeat Louie Barry, Aston Villa trick in January | OneFootball

His incredible start to the season hasn't gone unnoticed further afield

Stockport County already knew about the talent of Louie Barry, but many were likely still shocked to see how well he adjusted to life in League One.

In 17 third-tier appearances, he’s managed to pick up an incredible 13 goals, already surpassing his League Two total last season, albeit that was a season beset by injury.

There has already been reported Premier League interest in the Aston Villa loanee; if he carries his current form through December, the Hatters may have a job on their hands holding on to him when a January recall becomes a possibility.

County could soon be on the lookout for their next Barry to take the reins, but they’ve left themselves in a great position for the hunt.

Barry couldn’t have started this season any better

No player in England’s top four divisions is currently outscoring Barry.

Only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland stood in his way in terms of goals scored heading into last weekend’s games, but a quiet afternoon for the Norwegian against Tottenham Hotspur, along with a brace for Barry at Burton Albion, soon saw the Villa loanee pull ahead.

It’s the 21-year-old’s second stint in SK3, having spent the season on loan there last term, but spent much of it out injured.

His talent was clear from those original 22 showings in all competitions, but few could have predicted how much stronger he’d look this term despite jumping up a division.

Even when he’s not the most involved player on the pitch, it always feels like he’s capable of getting a goal with a quick turn of pace — give him half a yard, and you’re in trouble, as many League One defenders have already found out.

It could be difficult to keep Barry at Edgeley Park past January

His performances and how he’s adjusted to a higher level of football naturally lead to thoughts on how high he can go.

With January the main juncture for clubs to recall a player, you couldn’t blame Villa for pulling him out of Edgeley Park and getting him a test at a higher level, or even looking for a sale if enough money were to be on the table.

We had yet to reach December before the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City had been linked; it’d be surprising if they were the last sniffing around.

There are no end of clubs higher in the pyramid than County in need of goals, and could view a move for Barry as a strong, low-cost option on loan, given the threat he’s been shown as having this season.

County couldn’t have put themselves in a better position to find a new talent

The dream scenario for County would be Villa opting to leave him where he’s settled in and firing in the goals — which is surely still a possibility — but interest will be intense.

If Stockport are to lose Barry earlier than expected, then a replacement will likely be needed; his current scoring record means he has scored just under half of the Hatters’ 29 goals in 2024/25.

Jayden Fevrier and Jack Diamond were two forward players signed this summer who could pick up the slack, along with their top scorer last season, Tanto Olaofe, who has been handed fewer minutes so far this term.

But County could also dip back into the Premier League loan market in January for a replacement.

What manager Dave Challinor has achieved with Barry is nothing short of remarkable, taking him from a couple of forgettable loan spells at MK Dons and Salford City, and turning him into a scoring machine that has set tongues wagging up and down the country, boosting the young forward's profile and the money Villa can request for him in any transfer in the process.

It’s a strong case study to take to any other Premier League side when convincing them to part with their best talents for the second half of the season — especially those that may have had previous loans that didn’t quite go to plan like Barry had — meaning County could have the pick of the bunch in terms of players looking for third-tier experience.

The first goal will, of course, be holding on to Barry until the end of the season, but if that proves impossible, then County’s work with the player has put them in an excellent position to convince a top-flight side to part with their best prospects for a few months — it could be the ideal fix if a replacement is needed.