Lee Hendrie, a Sky Sports commentator and EFL specialist, has weighed in on the discussion over Louie Barry’s immediate future at Sheffield United after joining on loan from Premier League club Aston Villa.
As a result, they have now lost more second-tier matches in the first three months of this season than they did the entire previous season, when they were heartbreakingly defeated in the play-off final by Sunderland.
Since then, Chris Wilder left his hometown club, was replaced by former Southampton, Reading, and Hull City manager Ruben Selles, and was reappointed for a third time in September after the Spaniard’s tenure at Bramall Lane lasted six games across all competitions, with the Steel City outfit losing all of those matches.
At the moment, the 58-year-old is working with a strange mix of players as a result of 15 signings made between the start of the summer window and now, 14 of which were recruited by Selles as part of a new data-driven recruitment plan under COH Sports.
Barry was one of those who arrived on loan, having previously endured injury misfortune under his old manager at the MKM Stadium, where he sustained ligament damage in his fourth appearance for the Tigers after previously scoring 16 League One goals in 25 games with Stockport County.
However, his stint in S2 could end before it begins, with Hendrie fearing his loan arrangement could be terminated and he could be shipped somewhere by Unai Emery in January.
Lee Hendrie joins in on the Louie Barry argument amid the Sheffield United-Aston Villa agreement.
Barry has made nine appearances for the Blades since his most recent loan switch in July, with six coming from the start.
Only one of those starts has come under Wilder, in a 1-0 win over Watford on October 18th, before being left out of the two most recent matchday squads against Derby County and Coventry.
Indeed, while United’s senior team prepared for their match at the CBS, Barry was playing for the Under-21s alongside Ben Godfrey, Jamie Shackleton, and Nils Zatterstrom in a 2-1 loss to Wigan Athletic, with the 22-year-old opening the score after 13 minutes.
In an exclusive interview with Football League World, the former Villa and Blades midfielder stated that he would not be surprised if the forward’s loan was terminated at the turn of the year.
“Louie Barry’s situation is a problem,” he told me. “Ruben Selles brought him to Sheffield United because he wanted to play in a specific way.
“I’m not saying he can’t play under Chris Wilder, but it doesn’t appear to be working out as expected.
“I spoke briefly with him at the beginning of the season. He was excited and upbeat about going,” Hendrie said. “As you would be.”
“I believe that a number of factors have not only worked against Louie, but that the club did not begin as they should. Sheffield United has had a bit of a rollercoaster season, and their forwards have been under intense scrutiny.
“I’ve played at the club. When things aren’t going well, as you could guess, they have a lot of expectations, and the supporters, like any other team, take it out on their players because they want the best from their squad.
“There’s been too many of those who have underperformed this season, hence where they are in the table,” the forecaster said.
“It’s possible that Villa will recall him, but it may not suit his manner of doing things. It appears that way because he hasn’t played much since Chris returned.
“This is the advantage of borrowing spells. You can go out, and if it doesn’t work, you can come back and try somewhere else in January, which I know a number of clubs would be interested in,” Hendrie said.
The writing appears to be on the wall for Louie Barry’s time with Sheffield United.
Despite staying highly regarded in many circles, the Villa prospect has had a difficult 2025, and he now confronts a critical juncture in his development.
As Hendrie mentioned, he may still have a role to play in Wilder’s system, but it appears that the writing is on the wall in that sense, as the Blades’ manager plans to make multiple changes in January, raising questions over Barry’s future.
It remains to be seen what the next course of action will be, as Villa will hope he can eventually prove his worth at Championship level and force his way into Emery’s sights, or potentially earn a pure profit for the B6 club to alleviate PSR concerns.
However, if he is recalled by the West Midlands club, one would expect Barry to get a slew of short-term bids in the hopes that he can regain his previous form.
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