MX23RW : Friday, December 13 03:39:02| >> :120:32110:32110:

Louie Barry sets sights on making first-team breakthrough before end of season

Louie Barry sets sights on making first-team breakthrough before end of season
© Reuters
Aston Villa reportedly spent £1million to lure the 16-year-old away from Barcelona.

Aston Villa's new teenage striker Louie Barry has set his sights on making his first-team breakthrough by the end of the season.

It is understood Villa splashed out £1million on Barry during the recent transfer window, luring the 16-year-old away from Barcelona just six months after he had joined the Catalan giants from West Brom.

Boss Dean Smith has already hailed Villa fan Barry as "a bright young kid" with "an awful lot of potential".

Although Smith has claimed Barry "is an academy signing, first and foremost", the youngster has made it clear he is fighting for the first team.

Speaking to Birmingham Live, he added: "What I want to do first at Villa is play really well and go up the ranks.

"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."

Smith, meanwhile, has been hit with another injury scare to one of his main forwards.

Keinan Davis returned from a three-month layoff after a hamstring problem with substitute appearances in the Carabao Cup semi-final second-leg victory over Leicester and the Premier League defeat at Bournemouth.

Davis played in the Under-23s on Monday, while the rest of the first team are enjoying the winter break, only to limp off after 25 minutes against West Brom with what is understood to be another hamstring issue.

Should Davis again be sidelined for any length of time, it will leave Smith with just two strikers for the remainder of the season in recent recruits Mbwana Samatta and Borja Baston, with only youngsters Indiana Vassilev and Barry as back-up.

ID:388738: cacheID:388738:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2729:
Written by
P A
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe on February 1, 2020
Read Next:
Eddie Howe unconcerned by Ryan Fraser commitment
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
1.15am
Rams
@
49ers
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool14112129111835
2Chelsea1594235181731
3Arsenal1585229151429
4Manchester CityMan City158342721627
5Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest157441918125
6Aston Villa157442323025
7Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton156632522324
8Bournemouth157352320324
9Brentford157263128323
10Fulham156542220223
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1562731191220
12Newcastle UnitedNewcastle155551921-220
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd155461918119
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham155372028-818
15Everton143561421-714
16Leicester CityLeicester153572130-914
17Crystal Palace152761420-613
18Ipswich TownIpswich151681427-139
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1523102338-159
20Southampton1512121131-205


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!