Louie Barry, who has been on loan at Stockport County for the season, has been called up by Birmingham City. It was revealed on Sunday that after a successful second stint at Edgeley Park, the 21-year-old will be returning to the West Midlands. With 15 goals and three assists in 22 games during his four months in Manchester, he has topped the League One scoring rankings.
Last season, when Stockport was in League Two, Barry was on loan there, but he was out for several months due to an injury. Football reporter Sam Byrne of Stockport County is aware that Barry will spend the early part of next month training with the starting squad. He is a target for Middlesbrough, according to Darren Witcoop.
Stockport is vying for a second consecutive promotion after only winning one the previous season, and remembering Barry will severely hurt their chances. They are currently six points behind Birmingham City, who can win the title if they defeat Crawley Town on the road on Monday, December 23, and are currently in fifth place in title One.
Barry will be permitted to play against Villa’s inter-city rivals when Stockport hosts Birmingham on New Year’s Day, but he will return to Villa in the confirmed new year. Barry will have at least two games to aid Stockport in their pursuit of promotion, as they play Huddersfield Town and Rotherham United on Boxing Day and December 29.
Birmingham is impacted by Barry’s recall since one of their contenders for promotion will now be without one of their best players, and they will have to find a replacement during a challenging transfer month. Barry was rumored to have been a target for the Blues in the summer, but it now appears like he is headed for the Championship, as teams vying for promotion to the Premier League want to recruit him.
