Forward Louie Barry has been recalled to Aston Villa halfway through his planned season-long loan at Portman Road.
According to various reports in the West Midlands, Barry was back at his parent club this morning for talks with boss Steven Gerrard and Mile Jedinak, Villa’s loans manager, and TWTD can confirm his time with the Blues is now at an end.
The 18-year-old appeared fleetingly for Town during the first half of the season, making just four starts, only one in the league, and two sub appearances having signed on loan in August.
The former West Brom and Barcelona youngster’s last appearance came in the Papa John’s Trophy tie against Colchester in early November with his previous action a month prior to that in the same competition at Gillingham.
As a result, the England U18 international’s return to Villa Park had been widely expected. The Premier League side are expected to send him out for another spell, with League Two Swindon reportedly keen.
Asked about the Sutton Coldfield-born attacker’s situation ahead of Saturday’s game against Wycombe Wanderers, Blues manager Kieran McKenna said discussions with the youngster regarding his future were at that stage ongoing.
"Louie’s been training with us. He’s been training well. Louie is a player I know from watching academy football and watching England youths,” he said.
"He’s obviously a talented boy. He hasn’t played as much football as he would have hoped to have done but also will have learned an awful lot from his first move. I’ve had a couple of good discussions with him.
"I think the first loan move is very often about the experiences that you pick up off the pitch and everyone at the club speaks very highly of Louie and how he has conducted himself, and he’s positive about the experience that he’s had.
"We’re having conversations with Louie and he’s training with us, and we’re continuing to speak to him about what the best option for him is going forward.”
Barry's exit means Town now have four players on season-long loans, keeper Christian Walton frayden Coulson from Middlesbrough, Bersant Celina from Dijon and Macauley Bonne from QPR. Clubs are permitted to name five loanees in a matchday squad.
The Villa youngster's departure is the first Portman Road action of the January transfer window which opened on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Town have sold all 2,100 seats for next Saturday’s rearranged League One game against Gillingham at the Priestfield Stadium.