Aston Villa tipped to agree Louie Barry player swap deal with Sunderland
Aston Villa could send Louie Barry to the Stadium of Light on loan in January in exchange for a Sunderland player.
Barry is set to return to Villa from his loan spell with Stockport County in January, with a potential move to the Championship on the cards for the 21-year-old.
Meanwhile, Unai Emery’s side are clearly in the market for a new defender, with a £6.6million transfer reportedly having been agreed for an 18-year-old centre-back ahead of a medical taking place in January [via IHA, 24 December].
It looks as though the club are also shopping for some more senior players in that area of the pitch as well, as according to TBR Football [24 December], the Villans are interested in a deal for 25-year-old Sunderland centre-back Daniel Ballard.
Therefore, ex-Villa scout Bryan King – speaking exclusively to Villa News – believes a deal could be agreed between Emery’s side and the Black Cats when it comes to Barry and Ballard.
“Villa are interested in this Sunderland centre-back, while it looks as though Barry could be heading to the Championship on loan,” King said.
“Therefore, maybe that could be a deal if there is a deal to be made. Barry heads to Sunderland on loan with the option to buy, and Ballard comes the other way. If Sunderland get promoted, they’re going to want quality front players.”
Aston Villa and Sunderland to agree swap deal for Louie Barry and Daniel Ballard?
Barry has torn League One to shreds during his time on loan with Stockport County, scoring 14 goals and providing three assists in 21 matches.
He still has some time to add to those numbers, with Barry not set to return to the West Midlands until after 1 January as a clear shot is aimed at Birmingham City by Villa.
And it wouldn’t be a surprise if Championship clubs are keeping a close eye on the striker’s performances over the next week.
Sunderland could well be one of the clubs that look to make a move, and if they do, Villa would certainly be wise to mention Ballard’s name in any negotiations.
In other Aston Villa news, Richard Keys has taken a swipe over Morgan Rogers.
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