"Proven he is at the level" - Middlesbrough FC urged to take action to land Aston Villa's Louie Barry | OneFootball

FLW's Middlesbrough fan pundit has been discussing whether Louie Barry would be a good signing for Michael Carrick's side in January.

Middlesbrough are understood to be interested in a January move for Aston Villa forward Louie Barry, and our Boro fan pundit has urged Michael Carrick to seal a deal for the Stockport County loanee.

It's reported that Unai Emery is set to recall the 21-year-old from his loan spell with League One side Stockport in January, with Middlesbrough keen on bringing him to the Riverside for a temporary switch to the Championship in the second half of the season.

Barry has been in sparkling form for The Hatters so far this term, and Villa look like they want to test if their young starlet is capable of making the step-up to the second tier.

We've seen a number of players exchanged between Middlesbrough and Aston Villa in recent times, and the former Barcelona youngster might just be the next. But would he be a good signing for Boro?

Middlesbrough urged to get Louie Barry deal done

We asked our Middlesbrough fan pundit, Jasper Hudson, whether Barry would be a positive signing for the Teessiders if they do indeed bring the highly-rated forward to the Riverside in the new year.

Hudson said: "There's no doubt signing Louie Barry would be a successful January for any Championship club. He definitely seems to have proven he's at the level.

"He's got 13 goals in 17 games already this season, which is very impressive. He's got Stockport attacking well, they're scoring plenty of goals, he's scored in his last three and got an assist as well against Bolton and Wrexham who are decent teams.

"I think for us at Middlesbrough, he'd definitely be a very welcome addition. We've got Micah Hamilton, who I think if Barry did come in, would potentially go out on loan. He's a lot more raw than Morgan Rogers, hasn't had as much first team football, and that's evident in his performances.

"A lot of Boro fans are seeing that. There is definitely talent there, it's just he needs more time to settle in to first team football, rather than getting these short cameos off the bench.

"However, with Barry, we've got Riley McGree who is an integral part of the way we play football and the way we attack, and it's so good that we have him. That would be the only potential worry with it, is the game time clashing with McGree, who I think has to start.

"However, McGree is injury prone, and that is a fact that we unfortunately have to face. He misses lots of games playing internationally for Australia. There's a lot of travel, which usually means before and after and around international breaks, he's not available.

"So being able to have Barry come on would be great. Barry is similar to Ben Doak in the way he plays; direct, likes to get in and attack the box, attack the goal. It's different to how McGree plays on the left-hand side.

"So, it'd be interesting to see how we can adapt our gameplan, but it's definitely worth looking at. He would be very dangerous if we signed him. We have a good relationship with Villa, we loaned Cameron Archer and Aaron Ramsey as well, obviously sold Rogers to them.

"So I think there's lots of evidence behind it, and he's just a very good footballer. His numbers show it, and I hope he can show it if he does come to us, which I think is the likely case. I'd love to see what he can do at Championship level taking a step-up."

Carrick has shown that he values versatility highly

Whether it's central defenders being comfortable playing at full-back or vice versa, strikers dropping into attacking midfield roles or even being deployed on the flanks, Carrick has shown to have a real desire for players who can bring versatility to his squad.

Not only has Barry shown himself to be a player with bags of ability and potential, both this season and in the past, he's also proven that he can operate in various positions and roles across the forward line.

A real Swiss Army Knife type of player, the Aston Villa youngster could pretty much play any role Carrick wished/needed him to, and if Boro are to sustain their promotion push this term, then strength in depth is going to be key.

Barry has evidenced that he can produce goals from a multitude of positions, and as such, having a player like that who can be dropped into the side wherever he's required, whilst still maintaining confidence and trust that he'll perform there, would be a massive boost for Carrick.

As Hudson made reference to, Middlesbrough and Aston Villa have struck up a trusting and mutually beneficial transfer relationship over the last few years, with Archer, Ramsey, Rogers and current star Finn Azaz all being players who've been exchanged between the two clubs.

Therefore, should Villa indeed recall Barry in January with the goal of finding him a temporary home in the Championship for the remainder of the season, Boro will surely be one of, if not the first team they call.