Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has cast significant doubt over the future of on-loan forward Louie Barry, refusing to confirm whether the Aston Villa man will see out the season at Bramall Lane.
Injury and limited game time cloud loan spell
The 22-year-old attacker is currently back at his parent club, Aston Villa, receiving treatment for an injury. His stint with the Blades has been challenging, featuring just six Championship starts this season. Five of those appearances came under previous manager Ruben Selles, with game time becoming scarce since Wilder's arrival.
Wilder explained the competition for places, noting the form of players like Callum O’Hare and Gus Hamer in attacking roles. "It's been a difficult loan for Louie but he's got an injury at the moment so Villa as the parent club are looking at that," the manager stated.
January exit looms amid Championship interest
With the January transfer window set to open imminently, speculation is mounting that Barry could seek a fresh start for the second half of the campaign. A number of rival Championship clubs are reportedly monitoring his situation, potentially offering a route to more regular football.
This follows a summer where Barry was poised to join Hull City on a permanent deal for £3.5 million, only for the move to collapse after the Tigers were sanctioned by the EFL for breaching transfer regulations.
Wilder's assessment of all loan deals
Wilder confirmed that the club is reviewing all of their loan arrangements. While careful not to make an "unbelievable, controversial statement," he strongly indicated that some loan players will return to their parent clubs next month.
"We're assessing all the loans... there will be players that are on loan here that will go back to their parent clubs," Wilder revealed. Regarding Barry specifically, he added, "At the moment, Louie is here until the first of January. He's injured at the moment, he's back at Villa and we'll just see how that progresses over the next couple of weeks."
The manager did praise Barry's attitude during his time at the club, describing him as "a good kid to work with" whose "attitude has been spot on." The final decision on his immediate future, however, now appears to rest on his recovery and the options that materialise in January.
