Middlesbrough looking to capitalise on Aston Villa's looming player call this January | OneFootball

Stockport County striker Louie Barry is set to be recalled by parent club Aston Villa in January, and Middlesbrough are keen to sign him.

Aston Villa are reportedly set to recall Louie Barry from his loan at Stockport County in January, and Middlesbrough are said to be keen to sign the forward.

That's according to Birmingham World, who claim that Villa believe Barry has "already outgrown League One and would be better suited to a loan in the Championship" after his outstanding start to the campaign at Stockport.

Barry made the move to Villa Park from Spanish giants Barcelona in January 2020 for a fee of £880,000, but he struggled to force his way into the team, and he had underwhelming loan spells with Ipswich Town, Swindon Town, MK Dons and Salford City.

However, Barry's fortunes changed after he joined Stockport on loan last summer, and despite being plagued by injury, he scored nine goals and provided four assists in 22 games to help the Hatters to the League Two title last season.

Stockport surprisingly managed to secure another loan deal for Barry this summer, and he has enjoyed an incredible season so far, but it seems as though Dave Challinor's side could be set to lose him in the New Year.

Stockport County set for huge Louie Barry blow in January

Barry is currently the top scorer in League One, having scored a remarkable 13 goals in 17 league appearances so far this season, while he has also netted once in the EFL Trophy.

The 21-year-old has been in fine form in recent weeks, scoring eight goals in his last eight league games, and his stunning strike in the 1-0 win over promotion rivals Wrexham earlier this month was arguably the highlight of his campaign.

Barry's form has been crucial to Stockport's excellent start to the season, and with Challinor's men currently sitting fourth in the League One table, they are in contention to achieve back-to-back promotions.

However, while a final decision has not yet been made by the Premier League side, Villa are planning to recall Barry from Edgeley Park in January and send him to the Championship, which would be a huge blow for the Hatters.

It seems that Barry's form has caught the attention of second tier sides, and promotion-chasing Middlesbrough are believed to be keeping tabs on the winger ahead of his expected recall.

Despite the fact he only signed a new contract at the club in the summer, Villa are also expected to offer Barry another extension to his deal, and with hopes that he can one day establish himself in the first team, they are keen to see how he will perform in the Championship.

Even if many feared that Barry would be recalled in January, the news that Villa are planning to cut his loan spell short will be devastating for Stockport supporters.

Barry has been the standout player in League One this season, and his impressive goalscoring form has fired the Hatters into promotion contention, so Challinor will be desperately hoping that Villa have a change of heart.

However, from Villa's point of view, it does make sense to send him out on loan to the Championship in the second half of the season, and Middlesbrough are unlikely to be the only club chasing his signature.

Boro have a number of exciting attacking options, but left-wing is one position they are slightly weaker in, so Barry could be the perfect addition for Michael Carrick's side, and they should do everything possible to get a deal over the line.