Louie Barry tipped to join Sunderland as Aston Villa insider speaks out
Sunderland have kicked July off in style as they look to make an impact in the Premier League.
The Black Cats are hoping to do more than make up the numbers on their return to the top flight and are intent on beating the odds to avoid relegation.
Régis Le Bris’ side have already broken their transfer record several times this summer, and are looking to add more stars to their ranks by bringing in Georges Mikautadze.
However, they will also be looking for value buys in the market, and could turn to Aston Villa to sign an exciting prospect.
Sunderland ‘will be looking’ at Louie Barry
Habib Diarra was brought to Sunderland as a direct replacement for Jobe Bellingham, who left the Mackems last month to join Borussia Dortmund.
Diarra’s skillset primarily lies in ball carrying and retention, as well as an almost languid style of dribbling that draws multiple players in before he lays the ball off.
However, he is not known for his goalscoring, with last season’s tally of four in Ligue 1 his career-best return in a single campaign.
Le Bris will be desperate to add more potency to his side, and according to Aston Villa insider Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Villa News (4 July), Sunderland could be looking at Louie Barry as the Claret and Blues prepare to sell the 22-year-old this summer.
| Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Minutes Played |
| Stockport | 23 | 15 | 3 | 1,812′ |
| Hull City | 4 | – | – | 165′ |
Barry spent an excellent first half of last season on loan at Stockport before a January move to fellow Championship side Hull City proved less successful as he suffered a season-ending injury.
After seven separate loan spells, the forward is not in Villa’s long-term plans, opening a door for him to potentially join Sunderland.
Barry’s injury record a risk for the Black Cats
Barry’s career started so brightly as the young Englishman moved to Barcelona’s famed academy, La Masia before Villa brought him to the West Midlands in 2020.
Successful loan spells have seen him earn two contract extensions since then, but he has suffered from injuries. The goalscoring forward undoubtedly has an abundance of talent.
However, concerns over his fitness would make any move for Barry very risky ahead of such a pivotal season for Sunderland.
Sign up for the Mackem News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Sunderland AFC news sent straight to your phone.