Aston Villa 18-year-old Louie Barry is expected to join Ipswich Town on loan despite interest from Sunderland, according to Birmingham Live.

It's been a busy summer at Portman Road, with new CEO Mark Ashton already bringing in 10 new signings as he looks to give Paul Cook the tools he needs to secure promotion to the Championship.

Ashton, it seems, is not done yet as Birmingham Live has reported that Barry is now expected to join the Portman Road outfit.

It is understood that Sunderland are also keen on Barry but that the teenager has opted to join Ipswich instead after being convinced by Cook and the signing could be announced in the next few days.

The report claims that his parent club are keen to see the England U18 international develop in League One with the Tractor Boys.

The young forward was handed his senior debut by Dean Smith last season as part of a very inexperienced side that took on Liverpool in the FA Cup and grabbed his opportunity with both hands by scoring Villa's only goal of the game.

A product of the West Bromwich Albion academy, Barry joined Barcelona in a high-profile move back in 2019 but would join the Baggies' West Midlands rivals 18 months later.

His record for Villa's youth sides since has been phenomenal, including scoring 13 goals in 17 Premier League 2 games last season.

The Verdict

This could be a really exciting signing for Ipswich, which will be made even better as they're beating a promotion rival to the deal.

Barry is such a bright prospect and has an excellent record in front of goal – both in the Villa youth setup and for England's age-group sides.

Cook already has a frightening forward unit and adding the teenager would give him yet another weapon in the race for promotion.

For Sunderland, on the other hand, it seems a frustrating window is set to continue.