QPR should be looking to hijack Stockport County's Aston Villa transfer swoop: View | OneFootball

Louie Barry is being assessed by multiple clubs after an excellent spell at Stockport County in League Two.

And with multiple Championship clubs reportedly looking into a move for the versatile forward, as per a report from TEAMtalk, Queens Park Rangers and Marti Cifuentes should look to hijack a deal that is being attempted by Stockport to replace winger Chris Willock, who looks to be heading out of Loftus Road.

Despite suffering a long-term muscle injury that kept him on the sidelines at Stockport for nearly six months, Barry has left enough of an impression to be looked at by the Greater Manchester outfit on a permanent basis.

In his short periods playing for Dave Challinor's side, he grabbed nine goals and four assists in 20 League Two matches, and his start to the 2023-24 season in particular was simply electric.

Barry scored in seven consecutive matches for the Hatters after signing on loan from Aston Villa, a feat which no post-war player had achieved for the club.

It was obvious during August and September that he was a cut above the rest, both at Stockport and against League Two adversaries like Wrexham, with his five-star performance against the North Wales outfit being a day that certainly raised eyebrows as to just how much of a talent that Barry actually is.

Louie Barry would be a good fit for QPR if they pursued Aston Villa deal

Acquiring Louie Barry on a permanent or loan deal would surely be a good move for all parties at Queens Park Rangers, as it would allow the winger to step up into the Championship and get game time in place of Chris Willock.

He's had a wealth of experience at just 20 years of age, playing for Ipswich Town, Swindon Town, MK Dons, Salford City and then Stockport County - all on loan deals.

Having also spent time at Barcelona's famed La Masia academy, Barry has all the tools needed to potentially become a fantastic player.

His initial burst of quality came in 2021 in the form of a shock goal scored for Aston Villa in the FA Cup against Liverpool, bringing the spotlight onto a player who could face pressure in front of goal against one of club football's biggest opponents.

Manager Marti Cifuentes values adaptability in his 4-2-3-1 style, bringing much of his footballing philosophy from his time at Hammarby.

He favours compact passing and agility going forward, which Barry excels at. For Stockport County, he cut inside and confused full-backs with relative ease, becoming a goal-contributing machine when fit - although Dave Challinor's narrow formation saw the attacker play through the middle, as opposed to out wide, which is where he has spent the previous few seasons featuring for multiple clubs.

QPR, Louie Barry deal would be dependent on Chris Willock exitAfter four years at Queens Park Rangers, it looks as though ex-Arsenal winger Chris Willock will leave the club following the expiry of his contract on June 30.The 26-year-old still has a lot left to give at the top of the EFL pyramid, with links to a move to Sunderland reported by SB Nation. Norwich City are also said to be an interested party, with Alan Nixon reporting the Canaries' interest via Patreon and that talks are planned.

If Willock is to depart on a free, a deal with Villa for Barry - whether it's a loan swoop or a permanent one - could be possible given the strength in depth Unai Emery has at his disposal in attack, meaning the youngster is unlikely to get his chance in the near future at the top level.

Naturally, the next step for Barry would be League One, but there's a case to be made that he's good enough now to jump straight through that level and into the Championship given what we saw before his hamstring issue in 2023.

It may well be out of QPR's hands though, as a potential move for Aston Villa's Barry is being hotly contested.

Ambitious Stockport owner Mark Stott has revealed in an interview his intentions to purchase Barry for the Edgeley Park outfit, and he seemed to be reasonably confident that he could make a deal happen.

Sentiment aside though, if Championship clubs are keen and willing to offer Barry game-time, then they are likely going to be ahead of Stockport in the running for his services - and QPR should be one of those in the mix.