Louie Barry would be a fine signing for Aston Villa’s arch-rivals, Birmingham City, according to former England man Lee Hendrie.
Barry is set to leave Villa Park on loan next season, with a host of Championship clubs courting his signature. The ex-Barcelona youngster spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Hull City, but his campaign was hampered by injury, and he only played four times after suffering knee ligament damage in the 1-0 win at Sunderland in late February.
City could yet opt to try and bring the exciting youngster back for the new season, but that decision will rest with incoming new head coach Sergej Jakirovic.
Sources have indicated to Hull Live that any decision on Barry is not expected to be made until later in the summer, once the youngster recovers from the injury that halted his expected comeback in the final couple of games.
Newly promoted Blues are one of the clubs thought to be keen on signing Barry, and despite the rivalry, Hendrie believes a cross-city move would be good for both the player and ambitious Birmingham.
“I think signing Louie Barry would be a great deal for Birmingham City,” the ex-Villa playmaker told FLW. “I’ve heard a lot of reports and a lot of whispers about Louie Barry going to Birmingham City, so it wouldn’t surprise me.
“He did brilliant things at Stockport, got injured at Hull City and that’s what hampered him really going and kicking on and proving that he’s well worthy of playing in the Championship.
“I think he is well worthy. They’ve got a really good manager at Birmingham who plays a nice style of football that would suit Barry’s game.
“He’s versatile, he can play through the middle, he can play out wide, which would suit Birmingham, as they have got players that can chop and change throughout their front line. I think Louie Barry would be a great addition for Birmingham City, particularly going into the Championship with new, fresh ideas.”
Here at Hull Live, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Hull City coverage and analysis. Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.