Birmingham City may regret not pushing harder to sign Aston Villa player: View | OneFootball

It already looks like the Blues have missed an opportunity

The new season is still in its infancy, but Birmingham City may already be regretting not pulling the trigger on a move for Aston Villa’s Louie Barry.

The forward spent last season on loan with Stockport County, helping them towards their League Two title win despite a long lay-off with injury in the middle of the season.

There was much speculation regarding where Barry was going to be playing his football this season. Staying with Villa may have been on the cards, as was returning to County, but Birmingham looked like a strong option when they entered the race.

Potentially distracted by their interests elsewhere, the Blues let Barry slip through their fingers and back to Edgeley Park. Watching him tear the division up now may mean that is already the source of some regret.

Birmingham threw their hat into the ring for Barry

Barry was hot property after his season with the Hatters, being the key component of the club’s winning streak in the first half of the season, which will have ultimately been decisive at the end of the campaign.

Much of the talk was whether Barry would go out on loan to League One or jump a division and be placed straight in the Championship, such was his lethal nature in front of goal for County.

With Birmingham a Championship club in all but name after their relatively shocking relegation, and Barry’s strong Midlands connection, it seemed the perfect fit.

However, their interest seemed to stall and Stockport were not going to wait around to be asked twice, jumping straight in to agree another season-long loan, despite County owner Mark Stott talking about a permanent move for the forward at one point.

Birmingham may have been distracted by Stansfield

The Blues’ interest in Barry came at a similar time to the club tabling blockbuster bids for Stansfield.

The Fulham forward had been a bright spark in an otherwise forgettable season for Birmingham and the club seemed to be doing all they could to get him back, despite being a division lower.

That move never came off, however, with Cottagers boss Marco Silva confirming that he wanted the 21-year-old as part of the senior setup for his Premier League side, something that would be of obvious attraction to Stansfield.

With Stansfield and Barry operating in very similar positions, comfortable out wide and attacking through the middle, it feels as though Barry was perhaps the backup option if Stansfield fell through.

As it transpired, by the time Stansfield was off the table, Barry was already back at Edgeley Park.

Early signs suggest the Blues may regret their delay

Parent club rivalry aside, there’s no escaping the fact that Birmingham would have been an attractive prospect for the Villa starlet, sitting as clear favourites for the third-tier title and being based locally to where he grew up.

But they missed the opportunity, and already this season Barry has proven exactly what he can do, despite the jump in level.

He netted in all three of the Hatters’ opening trio of League One games, each strike a worthy contender for Goal of the Month compilations. But the first, an audacious chip from outside the box less than five minutes into the season, takes the crown. It showed just how much confidence Barry is playing with, and he’s got the talent to back it up.

Stockport had a perfect record in the league after the first three games; three wins, seven goals scored and three clean sheets.

Barry has undoubtedly been a huge part of the Hatters’ incredible start to life back in League One, and Birmingham will surely now be looking at his progress with a tinge of regret.