Celtic have reportedly set their sights on Aston Villa starlet Louie Barry.
The 21-year-old has just returned to the Hoops Champions League rivals after his latest loan spell away from Villa Park which saw him bag 15 goals in just 23 games. Barry was signed from Barcelona for just under £1million, having left West Brom to move to the Spanish giants in six years ago when he was just 16.
He spent only six months at the Nou Camp before returning to England. He has since had loan spells at Ipswich Town, Swindon Town, MK Dons, Salford City and two stints at Stockport.
Unai Emery will now assess Barry after his return to Villa Park but Football Insider say “Celtic are now set to enter the race for Barry’s signature and are considering a permanent bid for the striker.”
English Premier League duo Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City have both. been linked with the player previously and it has been suggested he could command a fee of up to £12.5m.
Brendan Rodgers admitted at his pre-match press conference ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Dundee the Hoops had back up plans in place with the champions braced for bids, with Kyogo one player heavily linked.
Another young striker currently at the club is Johnny Kenny who has returned from his own loan spell at Shamrock Rovers. He came on for his debut in the win over Ross County on Sunday and Rodgers said: “I was delighted for Johnny.
“Obviously young players come in before, had to go away. And I hadn’t seen him before, but coming back in and speaking to the guys, yes, he looks a bit stronger than what he was before.
“The one thing what I love with young players is the enthusiasm. Because with enthusiasm, there’s no expectation. They just come in and play. And they come and run. And that’s what he gave us when he came into the pitch.
“Sometimes the older players, and I would say the same thing to an older player, just as long as you maintain your enthusiasm for the game, then you just go and play. And Johnny did that when he came into the game. Straight away, his contact, his touch of the ball was good, he was on the move.
“The last goal, he’s there, thereabouts, that creates the chaos in the box. And we finished well. So he’s come in, he’s only been in just over a week. We’ll continue to monitor him, be around it. And then it’s the next decision then. Is he going to stay and be a part, or does he still need more game time on loan? But at this moment, I’ve been really pleased. He showed a wonderful enthusiasm for football and to work and he’s done really well. And I can see, 25 yards in, he’s a really, really good finisher.”
Meanwhile, Luis Palma has been linked with a Parkhead exit to Spanish side Rayo Vallecano. Rodgers said: “He’s a great guy, everyone loves him here. We love him. He’s a brilliant lad, works hard every day, trains every day and probably not getting the game time of what he would like.
“But again, we have to weigh everything up. Our first job is to look after our own squad, make sure that’s ready, and by the end of this month, set up for the challenges for the rest of the season. And if that allows some players to go out, then that can and may still happen. But at this moment in time, he’s here and a part of the squad.
“He’s here now. It was just something that happened overnight. And I could see, I sensed with him the feeling and then to sit on a coach three and a half hours going up north probably wasn’t going to be the best thing for him. So I just gave him the weekend, be with his family and then reset again after the weekend. So he’s come back in and it’s a sad time for him, losing both grandparents so close. But he’s ready to go again and will be part of the squad.”