Sheffield Wednesday fans will love what Jurgen Klopp once nicknamed top target Louie Barry
Sheffield Wednesday fans will love who Louie Barry has been compared to in the past as they close in on signing him from Aston Villa.
The Owls are looking to snap up some of the best talent in the EFL this summer in search of an immediate return to the Championship.
They have already moved to raid Aston Villa early in the transfer window, with centre-back Sil Swinkels arriving at Hillsborough for a small fee.
Another Villans youngster is also reportedly close to joining Henrik Pedersen's side, with Barry on their radar after a tough 2025-26 campaign.
Barry's stocks are low after struggling to make a real impact at Stockport or Sheffield United, but he will be hoping to channel his inner Jamie Vardy for Wednesday next season.
That is who former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp compared him to back in 2021 after his first senior goal in the FA Cup.
Wednesday have been tentatively linked with a move for Vardy, who supports the club and has spoken of his desire to pull on a blue and white shirt, but instead look to set to sign his likeness this summer.
Sheffield Wednesday have got the next best thing after Louie Barry comparison to Jamie Vardy
Barry was a highly-rated youngster after a spell in Barcelona's La Masia academy, as he joined Villa to make the step into senior football in 2020.
His first-team debut came about in surprising circumstances, as a COVID outbreak within the Villa squad in January 2021 left then-boss Dean Smith with no choice but to field a squad of youth players against Liverpool in the cup.
Barry was part of a side that stunned Liverpool's first-team stars, as he equalised just before half-time by getting in behind their defence.
Speaking after the eventual 4-1 Reds win, Klopp praised Barry by saying: "The (Villa) boys did really well. Little Jamie Vardy was a proper threat."
Sheffield Wednesday fans have a real affinity for Vardy and his career, with the hope of seeing him feature for his boyhood club still prevalent to this day.
They will love that their prospective new signing has been compared to the Leicester legend by such a respected manager, as he could be exactly what they need to get out of League One this season.
Who else are Wednesday targeting this summer?
David Storch's takeover at Hillsborough has rejuvenated the club and given supporters fresh hope as they prepare to attack the market this summer.
With the likes of Callum Slattery, Jordi Liongola and Ricardo Santos already through the door, the club are not stopping their search for new arrivals anytime soon.
Sources have revealed to Football Insider that Wednesday are keen on signing Huddersfield's Joe Taylor after he bagged 15 goals in League One last season.
Former Everton defender Reece Welch is also on the Owls' radar, according to Football Insider's sources, but they are facing competition for his services with reports stating that Danish side Lyngby Boldklub have taken him on trial.