Chris Lepkowski reacts as ex-West Brom talent Louie Barry joins Ipswich Town on loan
Former West Brom academy star Louie Barry has joined League One outfit Ipswich Town on loan for the duration of the 2021/22 season.
The 1981 UEFA Cup winners announced the news on Friday afternoon [06/08/21] via their official Twitter account.
Barry spent ten years at the West Brom Academy before he left for Barcelona in July 2019, but his time in Spain was brief as he joined boyhood club Aston Villa in January 2020, where he remains under contract now.
Former Birmingham Mail journalist and Albion fan Chris Lepkowski delivered his verdict on the teenager’s temporary move to East Anglia via his personal Twitter profile.
He wrote: “Good move for him in my opinion. Ipswich seem to have a switched-on manager. And a West Brom-centric board who probably knew what the club lost to Barcelona (Villa).”
Still grates
Of course, Lepkowski’s mention of Villa in brackets is a nod to the way that Barry ended up at the Midlands club.
Albion received just £235,000 in compensation when Barry moved to Barcelona two years ago, but he left for Villa for an initial £800,000 – in a deal that could reach £3million – just months later. Meanwhile, Barcelona still hadn’t paid Albion for the highly-rated England youth international and they sought legal advice, contacting FIFA in the process [Mirror].
It was annoying enough that Barry left the club on the cheap, but the fact he had moved to a Midlands club just months later, and that Barcelona still hadn’t paid, really frustrated the Albion hierarchy.
This is something that has been compounded in recent months with a number of Albion talents moving directly to Villa, including Finn Azaz.
But regardless, Barry looks set for a break out year in senior football with the Tractor Boys in League One. Who knows how events would have panned out had he stayed in the West Midlands.
In other West Brom news, Wayne Rooney reacts to major Albion transfer question.
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