MX23RW : Thursday, November 14 17:40:29| >> :120:74793:74793:

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:
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
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool119112161528
2Manchester CityMan City117222213923
3Chelsea115422113819
4Arsenal115421812619
5Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest115421510519
6Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton115421915419
7Fulham115331613318
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
9Aston Villa115331717018
10Tottenham HotspurSpurs1151523131016
11Brentford115152222016
12Bournemouth114341515015
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd114341212015
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Leicester CityLeicester112451421-710
16Everton112451017-710
17Ipswich TownIpswich111551222-108
18Crystal Palace11146815-77
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves111371627-116
20Southampton11119721-144


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!