Aston Villa: Louie Barry targets first-team breakthrough
Tuesday 4 February 2020 15:53, UK
Aston Villa's teenage striker Louie Barry has targeted making the club's first team by the end of the season.
The 16-year-old moved to Villa Park from Barcelona in January in a move thought to be worth close to £1m, just six months after leaving West Brom.
But he's not content to bide his time and has set his sights on a step-up from the club's academy set-up to the first team, despite Villa signing both Mbwana Samatta and Borja Baston in the same window.
"What I want to do first at Villa is play really well and go up the ranks," Barry told Birmingham Live.
"My main ambition is to be in the first team by the end of the season. Dean Smith was excited for me to come in. I have spoken to all of the first-team players."
Villa boss Dean Smith is thought to be excited at Barry's potential but might have to reckon without another of his main striking options Keinan Davis, who suffered an injury scare on Monday while playing for the U23s.
Davis limped off after just 25 minutes with what's thought to be another hamstring problem, having only returned from a three-month hamstring injury lay-off with substitute appearances in the Carabao Cup semi-final second-leg win over Leicester, and at Bournemouth in the Premier League.
