Aston Villa signing Sheffield United youngster Daniel Jebbison could have blocked the pathway for Louie Barry, says Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield.
Jebbison is currently on loan at League One side Burton Albion but was linked with a move to Villa prior.
According to TEAMtalk, Villa were just one Premier League club who had an interest in the 18-year-old striker in the summer transfer window.
In Barry, though, the Midlands outfit already have a young and talented forward, and Hatfield believes the addition of Jebbison could have had ramifications for the 18-year-old Villa youth product.
Asked by FFC if the signing of Jebbison could have denied Barry a way into the first team, Hatfield said:
“Yeah, and this is something that Dean Smith’s talked about, that pathway for youngsters, which, you know, needs to be there.
“Villa have got a load of talented youngsters. Louie Barry, Caleb Chukwuemeka, Carney Chukwuemeka, Jaden Philogene-Bidace, they’ve got so many really talented youngsters. The Jebbison stuff… it would’ve been a strange one.”
Barry, who is spending the season on loan at Ipswich Town, looks a real talent.
The English youngster, of course, made quite the impression last term when he scored on his senior debut, a 4-1 FA Cup third-round defeat against Liverpool. His development is certainly something Villa should be prioritising.