Heskey backs Birmingham City to raid Aston Villa for player he knows well
Aston Villa are expected to be active in this summer’s transfer window after narrowly missing out on qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Villa missed out on the top five on goal difference after falling to defeat in their final Premier League game at Manchester United.
It’s hoped that Unai Emery will be given the funds to refresh the squad this summer, so that the Villains can have a real stab at regaining their place among Europe’s elite next year.
Heskey backs Villa ace Louie Barry to join Birmingham
Louie Barry is one player whose future at Villa Park is uncertain.
The 21-year-old was sent out on two separate loan spells last season.
He initially scored 15 goals in 23 appearances at Stockport County, but his campaign was then cut short by a knee injury after just four games at Hull City.
Barry is at an age where he’ll want to be seeking regular first-team football and it’s not clear how much of that he’s going to get at Villa Park.
Now, in an interview with Football League World (7 June), former Villa striker Emile Heskey has backed Barry to move to Midlands rivals Birmingham.
He said: “He’s been a wonderkid and shown what he can do but now is a step to really establish himself as a first-team regular in the Championship, which is probably the fifth or sixth-best league in the world.
“I think it’s great to see that he’s performing that way to then have the likes of Birmingham looking at him because we’ve seen so many wonderkids fall off, but he seems to be taking the right steps, and this could be a massive step for him to start establishing himself.”
Heskey added he is well aware of Barry’s potential, having closely followed the striker’s journey with England’s youth teams.
Barry could benefit from another loan move
Heskey isn’t the first person to recommend that Barry moves to Birmingham City.
Lee Hendrie shared a similar sentiment earlier this summer, although he suggested a loan deal.
However, it’s strange that neither of these experienced pundits remembered to mention that Villa and Birmingham are bitter rivals.
| Louie Barry 2024-25 statistics | Appearances | Goals |
| Stockport County (loan) | 23 | 15 |
| Hull City (loan) | 4 | 0 |
Perhaps Villa wouldn’t want to sell one of their most gifted up-and-coming players to that lot across the city. Maybe, having been developed at Villa Park for so long, the young striker wouldn’t want to go there.
Long-standing rivalries aside, a loan move to the Championship would appear to be the best next move for Barry.
He wasn’t given time to prove himself in that league with Hull due to his unfortunate injury. If he can do so at the start of next season, he might just play his way into Emery’s long-term plans.