‘Aston Villa plan to accept Celtic’s Louie Barry offer on one condition’
Louie Barry could come back to haunt Aston Villa if they don’t include conditional clauses in his proposed transfer to Celtic.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson assessed the most ideal scenarios for Villa if they do let Barry leave the club this summer.
Barry had looked set to complete a permanent move to Hull City after he spent the second half of last season on loan in East Yorkshire, but a three-window transfer embargo charge has put paid to that deal.
Brendan Rodgers is ready to splash the cash Nicholas Kuhn’s £17million move to Como, and Celtic have been linked with either a permanent deal or another loan move for the highly rated 22-year-old attacker.
Football Insider revealed back in January that Celtic were willing to pay a “big fee” in order to sign Barry, but Robinson urged Villa to include contract clauses which ensure they don’t miss out on his progress.
Robinson told Football Insider that while the “ideal” move would be another loan spell for Barry, Villa must ensure that they include both first refusal and a buy-back clause in any permanent deal.
‘Barry can come back to haunt Aston Villa with Celtic move’
Barry had been a target for eventual promotion winners Leeds United and several other Championship teams before his switch to Hull City, and a season-ending injury early in that spell hasn’t deterred Celtic.
Speaking on the latest Inside Track, Robinson said that if Villa choose to cash in on Barry this summer, they would be foolish not to included both guaranteed first refusal and a buy-back clause in the transfer.
“I think Villa will want some kind of buy-back clause”, Robinson told Football Insider.
“I think it’s imperative that they put in a buy-back if he’s going to go on a permanent, but a loan deal would be ideal for them.
“Game-time for him at Villa is going to be unlikely this season – so whether it’s a permanent deal or a loan, I think that works for all three parties.
“I think Villa will; if they are to trade permanently, it’s going to be [with] a first refusal and a buy-back clause included there.
“He’s a player of great quality, and he’s one that could come back to haunt Aston Villa if they sold him, so for me, it’s [better as] a loan if that’s possible.
“But, for Villa, it’s a permanent [transfer], with an absolutely guaranteed first refusal and a buy-back clause.”
Rodgers to rush through Barry transfer amid Celtic exit talks
Celtic‘s campaign is already up and running after they beat Queen’s Park 1-0 in their first pre-season friendly, but Rodgers is far from happy with the makeup of his squad despite plenty of transfer activity.
Kuhn’s imminent switch to Como comes hot on the heels of multiple Premier League sides expressing interest in another key man in Daizen Maeda, and Rodgers will be desperate to avoid losing both players.
Barry’s addition to Rodgers’ squad would bolster Celtic’s frontline alongside the likes of Benjamin Nygren this summer, and the money brought in from Kuhn’s sale will give them the opportunity to sign him both permanently and on their terms.