Scottish giants Celtic are set to launch a seven figure bid for Middlesbrough target Louie Barry, according to The Daily Record.
The 21-year-old spent the first half of the season on loan with League One outfit Stockport County. It was the attacker’s second spell with the Hatters after helping them clinch the League Two title last season.
The first half of this campaign has seen Barry emerge as one of the hottest young talents in the EFL. He scored 15 times in 23 league appearances, making him the top scorer in the division.
This led to Aston Villa taking the decision to trigger the early recall clause in his deal, with his last outing for Stockport coming in a 1-1 draw with Rotherham United on December 29th.
Aston Villa’s Plan Revealed
Last week, Aston Villa boss Unai Emery said the club were still working on a plan on the former Barcelona youngster, saying:
“(Barry) trained with us and we are going to make a plan with him, an overall plan,
“I think he is a very good player who is progressing well. He has been on loan doing fantastic. Now we can have a new plan with him.
“He improved because he was scoring a lot of goals on loan. With us he only trained today and yesterday. Of course we are going to try and get a good plan for the club with him.”
It is claimed that the Premier League side are hoping to tie Barry down to a new deal before loaning him out to the Championship for the remainder of the campaign. Middlesbrough are keen to win that battle, although interest is high. Sheffield Wednesday, Leeds United, Stoke City and Derby County have also been linked.
Celtic Launch Opening Bid
According to reports in Scotland, Celtic are keen to add a left-sided attacker to their squad. Barry fits that bill and are set to make their interest concrete in the coming days with a seven figure bid.
Although the Scottish Premiership is already as good as won, Brendan Rodgers’ side are still targeting a place in the Champions League knockout stage. They currently sit 21st in the table, which would be good enough for a play-off position in the new format.
Writer’s View
Barry is a player that would excel in Scotland, so it’s not a surprise to see the country’s best team prepare to make an offer. However, Villa know they have a talent on their hands and they will be reluctant to let him go at this stage of his career. Despite the interest, a move to the Championship is still the most likely scenario.
