Leeds United and Middlesbrough 'target' has already given transfer verdict

Daniel Farke has already hinted Leeds United are not expecting to be busy during the January transfer window - but he did stop short of suggesting the Whites would not conduct any incoming business this month.

Speaking after the 1-1 home draw against Blackburn Rovers on New Years Day, the Whites boss admitted that he was ‘not a big friend’ of doing too much in the January market unless he was forced into it by injuries. However, recent comments made by one reported transfer target may well have caught the attention of the former Norwich City manager if he was to consider adding to his options in the final third.

Aston Villa youngster Louie Barry has been linked with a move for Elland Road in recent weeks after he was recalled from a highly successful loan spell with League One club Stockport County. After experiencing mixed fortunes during similar spells with the likes of Ipswich Town, Swindon Town and MK Dons earlier in his career, the former England youth international plundered his way to 16 goals and provided three assists in just 24 appearances in all competitions for the Hatters.

Barry is now back with Villa and is widely expected to be handed yet another loan spell at a higher level as he looks to force his way into Unai Emery’s thinking for next season. Leeds are not the only Championship club to be linked with the forward after the likes of Middlesbrough and Sunderland were all suggested as possible suitors - and comments made earlier in the season by the 21-year-old would suggest he would favour another temporary move away from Villa Park to gain ‘invaluable’ experience.

Speaking to The i in November, he said: “I’m 21 and I’ve racked up almost 120 senior appearances. That’s what I wanted. I went to Ipswich for my first loan and it didn’t go well. I didn’t really know what I was going into. I was a young 18-year-old. I wasn’t making matchday squads and I was low, yet on the flipside I had this deep hunger that wasn’t being satisfied. So I got out to Swindon Town.

“I think people forget that I’m only 21 because my name has maybe been around for a while. Not a lot of 21-year-olds have played as much league football as me and experience comes with being on the pitch. But what has really made me mature is that I have had the lows and never want to go back there or feel that again.

He continued: “Even if you score every game, you never want to have a bad training session because you don’t want to ever experience things you have before. If I was to speak to a young player now, I’d say ‘Go out on loan – no matter how well or badly it goes, it will be better than Under-21 football’. The experience is so invaluable.”