Unai Emery sanctioning Aston Villa call involving Stockport County makes little sense for any party: Opinion | OneFootball

Highlights

These days, with first team football increasingly hard to come by for young Premier League talents, it has almost become a rite of passage that you must first head out on loan to the EFL and get some regular experience under your belt.

We have seen numerous star players in this country sent out on loan to the EFL earlier in their careers, and without those spells, often you wonder where the first real opportunity to showcase their talents at senior level would have come.

One player currently experiencing the above is Aston Villa starlet Louie Barry.

Barry has been on loan in the EFL previously, but has never quite had a spell like the one he is having at Stockport County in League Two currently.

Indeed, with the 20-year-old heading out on loan to the fourth tier from Aston Villa this summer, he has had a fantastic start to the campaign, scoring 7 goals and registering two assists in his first 13 league matches at the club.

His performances earned him the League Two player of the month award for September, too, and speaking upon the announcement of that award, Stockport boss Dave Challinor was full of praise for the Aston Villa loanee.

"Delighted for Louie, the award is obviously great recognition for him and his form, but I’m sure he’d also be the first to acknowledge that it’s been a real team effort that has seen us, and him, be so successful over the last month or so." Challinor explained to Stockport County club media.

“We knew when bringing him into the club what he was capable of in terms of taking on and beating players, and dribbling with the ball; what he’s really added to his game during his time with us are obviously the goals and assists to go along with that now.

“To break a club record of scoring in seven consecutive games was a brilliant achievement, particularly for someone so young, and the exciting thing for us is that we know there’s still a lot more to come from him.

"He’s really enjoying his football right now and continuing to improve every week, so long may that continue."

Could Aston Villa recall Louie Barry from Stockport County?

Whilst Challinor hopes Barry's development at the club will continue, bizarrely, it appears that it may not.

That is because there is seemingly a chance that Barry could potentially be recalled by Aston Villa.

Indeed, according to an article from TEAMtalk last month, the club are considering exercising their option to re-call Barry in January in order to send him out on loan to a higher level.'

Their report claims that the club had hoped to loan Barry out at a higher level this past summer, and now, after a strong start in the fourth tier, Unai Emery and co are giving serious thought to loaning him to a higher club in the EFL if offers arrive.

Why Aston Villa should not re-call Louie Barry

Doing so would be a huge mistake, though, we would argue.

First and foremost, Barry is clearly happy where he is, and thriving in the current Stockport County side. He is playing week in week out and has the chance to finish the season with the club, which would be the first time he has played a full season away on loan.

Indeed, Barry and Villa have made this sort of mistake previously, too.

When loaned to Ipswich, for example, Barry had to drop back down to League Two Swindon Town after a failed spell.

Then, last season, Barry had to drop back down to Salford City in League Two after a spell in League One at MK Dons.

Honestly, unless he was to make the jump to Championship level, which seems unlikely, there really does appear very little merit to Villa recalling their man in January.

Indeed, Stockport won't want to lose Barry, Barry surely would like to stay given how much he is thriving at the club, and what do Villa really learn about Barry that they do not already know if he goes and plays half a season in League One, something he did previously for MK Dons.

As such, Villa should leave Barry where he is for the season, and allow him to continue thriving and developing at Edgeley Park.