Stockport County eyeing ambitious Aston Villa swoop after League Two triumph | OneFootball

Stockport County want to sign attacker Louie Barry from Aston Villa on a permanent deal in the summer transfer window.

That's according to a report from TeamTalk, who say that talks over such an agreement have already begun.

Barry first joined Stockport last summer, signing from Villa on a season-long loan. However, that loan spell was hampered by an injury that meant he did not make an appearance for the Hatters between October 2023 and April 2024.

Even so, the 20-year-old has seemingly done enough during his time with the recently crowned League Two champions to convince them to try and make a move to sign him on a long-term basis.

Stockport chasing permanent Louie Barry deal

During his time with the club, Barry made 22 appearances in all competitions, scoring nine goals and providing four assists in that time.

That helped Stockport secure top spot in the final League Two standings, finishing four points ahead of second place Wrexham, and 14 clear of the play-off spots.

As a result, the Hatters are now preparing for a first season in League One since the 2008/09 campaign.

They will, therefore, need to strengthen their squad for that return to the third-tier, and it seems that could involve a return to Edgeley Park for Barry.

According to this latest update, Stockport have already held talks with Villa about bringing the attacker back to the club on a long-term basis, and are keen to make such a deal happen.

However, they will face competition for his services, with a number of Championship clubs also thought to be keen on the 20-year-old.

Barry joined Aston Villa back in January 2020, following a stint in the youth ranks at Barcelona.

Since then, he has made just a single first-team appearance for the club. That came in a 4-1 defeat to Liverpool in January 2021, when the majority of Villa's first-team were unavailable, with Barry scoring the goal in that game that had brought his side level at 1-1 for a period.

He has also had spells out on loan with Ipswich Town, Swindon Town, MK Dons and Salford City prior to his spell with Stockport.

At the same time he completed his loan move to Stockport last summer, Barry also signed a new contract with Aston Villa, ensuring they could demand a fee for his services during the upcoming window.

Louie Barry would be an excellent signing for the Hatters

It is hard not to feel as though this would be a very good move for Stockport to make if they can pull it off.

Barry's career pedigree and performances during his time at Edgeley Park, suggest he ought to be playing at a higher level than League Two going forward.

As a result, he could be a big asset for the club as they look to re-establish themselves in League One next season.

Indeed, with interest in him from even further up the pyramid, this could be a major coup for Stockport if they can get it done.

That, in turn, would help to further build the momentum and confidence there is around Edgeley Park going into next season.

With Barry having also developed a strong connection with the fans and club during his time there, it could be argued they may have some hope of convincing him to choose this move if possible.

It seems, therefore, that this is certainly a deal that Stockport must be looking to get done as we move even closer to the transfer window opening again.