Aston Villa at centre of shock transfer embargo claim over £1m payment

Aston Villa are at the centre of a transfer embargo claim involving Louie Barry.

The 22-year-old enjoyed an excellent first half of last season, scoring 15 goals and providing three assists in League One for Stockport County.

Barry was rewarded with a loan move to the Championship in January, but would play just four matches for Hull City before a significant knee injury ruled him out for the rest of the season.

Louie Barry
Credit: Imago

Hull City slapped with transfer ban

Despite Barry’s injury last season, Hull City had reportedly been in talks to sign the winger permanently this summer.

However, according to talkSPORT (3 July), the club have now been placed under a transfer embargo for their failure to pay Villa’s £1million loan fee for the player.

According to the report, the embargo is set to last until 2027 – scuppering any hope of the Tigers’ transfer business under new head coach Sergej Jakirovic.

Hull City are expected to launch an appeal against the ban.

Jakirovic has replaced Ruben Selles, who had only arrived in December last year. The Spaniard ended a 14-match winless run for the club and managed to avoid relegation on the final day, but was dismissed regardless.

His Bosnian replacement will, essentially, find himself with his hands tied behind his back going into the new season if City fail to overturn the latest development, however.

And the East Yorkshire club are not the only Championship side to find themselves in trouble with the EFL.

Managerless Sheffield Wednesday, despite finishing in an encouraging 12th place last season, have also been placed under a further transfer embargo for failing to pay transfer fees.

Owner Dejphon Chansiri has come under huge pressure to sell the club, after it emerged that both the players’ wages and the club’s HMRC bill had gone unpaid – for which Wednesday have also been hit by transfer embargos.

Louie Barry could move elsewhere

Barry could return for the start of the season, but a potential return to Hull City now looks uncertain.

The 22-year-old’s talent is clear for all to see, and fellow Championship clubs are likely to attempt to take advantage of the situation.

The winger’s impressive tally in League One could see him end up with a move to a team further up the Championship table, should Villa receive a lucrative offer.

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