Middlesbrough in pole position to sign Aston Villa star | OneFootball

A host of second tier sides will all be gunning for the same player in the new year.

Middlesbrough are the front-runners to sign Aston Villa forward Louie Barry on loan in January, amid competition from a number of Championship clubs, according to Darren Witcoop.

If you are a team in the second tier, and you are considering attacking improvements in the January window, then Barry will almost certainly be on your list.

Another goal for the 21-year-old for Stockport County, who he has been on loan with since the start of the season, took his tally to 14 goals in 19 league appearances - the most in League One.

His spectacular form to start the 2024/25 campaign has unsurprisingly caught the eye of many clubs in the division above Stockport, with Boro said to be leading the way.

Middlesbrough: the current front-runners to sign Louie Barry

Michael Carrick's side look poised to potentially snap up another top wide talent from a Premier League side this season. They already have Liverpool's Ben Doak on loan, and they are said to be the current favourites to snap up the former Barcelona academy member in the new year and pair him with the Scottish winger, as per Witcoop.

The news of Barry being recalled by Villa so that he could test himself in the second tier was first reported by Birmingham World.

Some of Boro's Championship rivals - Derby County, Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday - are also said to be interested in the forward, who spent the previous campaign with Stockport but picked up a hamstring injury which kept him off the pitch for the majority of the season.

The County boss, Dave Challinor, has stated that he isn't worried by the prospect of losing the 21-year-old in the new year. "It's not a thing I can’t effect, so if I'm having sleepless nights over something that I can't do anything about then I'm in trouble," Challinor said, via Birmingham Live.

"There's more things that I've got to concern myself that I can control, so whatever will be, will be. If Louie ends up staying with us brilliant. If not, then we have to come up with some solutions to replace the goals that we’ll miss, but we're pretty comfortable with where we sit."

Middlesbrough could be a force to be reckoned with if they complete a move for Louie Barry

Even though the 21-year-old has been so utterly fantastic in all that he has done this season, there is no guarantee that he will be a success in the Championship. It's another step up from the level he is currently at, which he is admittedly bossing.

If there is any team that he could flourish in most, though, Middlesbrough would probably be high on that list. The pressure wouldn't be on him to be the wonderboy that he has been for Stockport. Sure, a move to the Riverside may come with less game time, but there also wouldn't be as much on his shoulders.

Another added benefit would be the players that he'd be alongside. An attacking lineup of him on the left, Doak on the right, Finn Azaz as the ten and either Emmanuel Latte Lath or Tommy Conway as the striker would be a potentially deadly force.

The attention of defenders wouldn't be on Barry as much, because they would have to focus on the other weapons too. It could become a pick your poison choice for opponents.

There are questions about how successfully he will make the transition from League One to the Championship, but Boro will certainly offer Barry a good opportunity in the second tier.