"Too over-reliant on him" - Louie Barry name-dropped as part of Stockport County summer predictions | OneFootball

Football League World's Stockport Fan Pundit, has weighed in with two predictions for the summer transfer window.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Stockport County have had an excellent first year back in League One, and after an impressive start to the season that saw them involved in the fight for automatic promotion, they continue to have a strong hand in the battle for the play-offs.

Few would have expected the Hatters to be in their current position at the start of the campaign, and following Louie Barry's return to Aston Villa and eventual loan to Hull City, it looked as though the task at hand was going to be too large.

However, Dave Challinor has inspired his side to strengthen their grip on the top six in recent weeks and months, and there is a very realistic chance that the Greater Manchester outfit will be playing Championship football next season.

Plans will be in place for the summer transfer window at Stockport, with strengthening needed to help take the club to the next level, whether promotion is won or not.

Predictions issued for Stockport's summer transfer window

The Hatters have not been in the second tier since 2002, and supporters will be hoping that they can taste promotion for the third time in four years at the end of this season.

Challinor has managed the club to the two promotions that have already been secured in the last few campaigns, and he has a proven track record when it comes to building a squad ready for the next challenge.

Football League World has asked their Stockport Fan Pundit, James Cropper, for two predictions for the summer transfer window.

James told FLW: "I don't think that we'll be purged. I mean, as I've said before, we don't have many standout assets. Ethan Pye is the standout asset, and I'd definitely be looking to hold onto him in the summer if we can, but I can imagine there being offers for him.

:But other than that, we're just a very solid side that doesn't contain many standout players.

"I think that's definitely been beneficial to us, because before, we had Louie Barry, who is obviously way too good for League One and we were too over-reliant on him. But now I feel like we're a better team for it.

"I can't see us making many sales, because, as I said, we don't have many standouts and we don't have many saleable assets. Benony Breki Andresson's just come here. He could be sold in the future, but he has only just arrived."

James continued: "Pye is the main one that I suspect could leave the club. Some of the players that aren't good enough, like Odin Bailey, and to some extent Ibou Touray, could leave the club.

"We've got Sam Hughes out on loan at Peterborough United, and apparently, he's been doing really well. So, he might be sold to them, you never know. But I'd like to keep hold of him if he's doing well.

"But I think we have a solid squad, and I don't think we'll be purged."

Stockport may struggle to keep hold of Ethan Pye if they fail to win promotion

Ethan Pye has been excellent for Stockport this season, and at just 21, it is clear to see that his future is incredibly bright.

However, it may be tough to ensure that he stays at Edgely Park past this summer if promotion to the Championship is not won. The defender is a real bright spark in Challinor's team, and he has stepped up to the challenge of League One excellently in 2024/25.

The core of the squad at Stockport is relatively strong, but losing Pye would be incredibly difficult for the Hatters to deal with and finding a replacement for him would have to be a number one priority in the transfer window.