Premier League side Aston Villa are closing in on signing Barcelona youngster Louie Barry, according to a report on ESPN.
The 16-year-old is close to completing a €1.5m move to Villa Park, just six months after signing for the Catalan club from West Bromwich Albion.
The teenager signed a three-year deal with the La Liga club but things haven’t worked out as smoothly as everyone hoped. He shone for the Under-19 team in pre-season but has struggled for playing time.
There have been disputes between Barcelona and West Brom surrounding payments and the Spanish side are keen to let go of Barry, with Villa set to beat Manchester United and Liverpool to his signature.
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Barry is one of England’s highest-rated youngsters and that is what made Barcelona snatch him away from Paris Saint Germain last year.
His quality is undeniable and this would be a statement signing by Villa because it is a sign of their future plans. It’s a shame that his Barcelona career is coming to such an abrupt end but he’s likely to get more opportunities at Villa than in Spain.
Barry is expected to join up with Villa’s under-23 squad but according to the report, he is almost certain to be training with the first team.
