Former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has admitted that he believes that Louie Barry ought to be considering the possibility of ending his loan spell at Ipswich Town.

Barry joined the Tractor Boys on a temporary basis from Villa in the summer transfer window as manager Paul Cook opted to completely overhaul the club's squad following a disappointing end to the 2020/21 campaign.

Whilst the 18-year-old would have been hoping to force his way into Ipswich's starting eleven in recent months, his game-time has been limited due to the form illustrated by fellow forward Macauley Bonne.

Since making his debut for Ipswich in their clash with Newport County in the League Cup in August, Barry has only been utilised by Cook on two occasions in the third-tier.

Left out of the Tractor Boys' match-day squad for their last five league fixtures, the forward will need to showcase his talent in training in the coming weeks in order to gain Cook's trust.

Making reference to Barry's situation, Agbonlahor has suggested that the forward could find it beneficial to move to a League Two side in January.

Speaking to Football Insider about Barry, the 34-year-old said: "Every time I check, I don't even see him on the bench, never mind starting which is very strange.

"I can relate to that.

"I went to Sheffield Wednesday and Watford and barely played.

 

 

"If I'm Louie Barry, I'd think 'Ok, that's fine. I'm going to come back in January or earlier if I'm allowed and go somewhere else.'

"This loan will not put him off.

"He just has to go somewhere where a manager will play him week in, week out.

"If that’s League Two, rather than League One so be it, at least you’re getting games."

The Verdict

It is hard to disagree with Agbonlohar's comments regarding Barry as the forward is currently being forced to watch on from the sidelines for the majority of Ipswich's games.

When you consider that Bonne has scored nine goals for the Tractor Boys in League One this season, it is extremely unlikely that Barry will be able to overtake his team-mate in the pecking order at Portman Road.

If he is unable to make any inroads in the coming months, the forward may find it beneficial to seek an early exit from Ipswich if Villa are able to line up another loan move.

By joining a team in a lower division who are willing to play him on a regular basis, Barry could improve as a player before returning to Villa Park next summer.