Leeds United and Sunderland are both well within the Championship title race this season. Right now, it’s Leeds who sit in 1st place, whilst the Black Cats maintain 4th under Regis Le Bris.
For a long time this season, it was Sunderland who sat top of the Championship table. They made a blistering start under Regis Le Bris but have since endured some mixed form in the league, now finding themselves in 4th place of the table.
But after Sunderland’s 2-1 win over Sheffield United on New Year’s Day, and Leeds’ draw against Blackburn Rovers, the gap between the two has closed to five points, whilst the gap between Sunderland and the top two is now just two points.
Who wins the race for automatic promotion could certainly hinge on what happens during this month’s January transfer window. Both Leeds and Sunderland have been linked with a handful of exciting potential signings, with both linked with one very in demand player in Louie Barry.
Louie Barry urged to snub Leeds United and join Sunderland
Sunderland want to sign Barry on loan from Aston Villa who’s just recalled him from an impressive spell on loan at Stockport County. The former Barcelona gem scored 15 goals in League One during the first half of this season.
A horde of Championship clubs have been linked with Barry. It was widely thought that he’d be sent out on loan but contrasting reports suggest that Aston Villa want to sell Barry during the January transfer window.
Speaking to Football League World, pundit Carlton Palmer has simply urged Barry to go wherever he’ll play the most football. And Palmer suggests that Sunderland could be the perfect place for the 21-year-old.
He said: “I think it will be interesting for Leeds to see what they do with Patrick Bamford and whether they keep him until the end of the season. (Joel) Piroe has just started scoring again, they need another striker but Barry won’t want to sit on the bench.
“So I would think the favourites to sign him would be somewhere like Sunderland, where he will be guaranteed more first-team football. Obviously he’d been playing regular football and he won’t want to sit on the bench at any club.
“If I was Louie Barry, I would be looking at where I can get first-team football, where I fancy my chances to play regularly at a club that will give young players a chance, and that’s Sunderland at this moment in time.”
| 1 | Leeds | 25 | 15 | 7 | 3 | 45 | 16 | 29 | 52 |
| 2 | Burnley | 25 | 13 | 10 | 2 | 30 | 9 | 21 | 49 |
| 3 | Sheffield Utd | 25 | 15 | 6 | 4 | 34 | 16 | 18 | 49 |
| 4 | Sunderland | 25 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 38 | 22 | 16 | 47 |
| 5 | Middlesbrough | 25 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 42 | 31 | 11 | 40 |
| 6 | West Brom | 25 | 9 | 12 | 4 | 31 | 20 | 11 | 39 |
Aston Villa’s Louie Barry price tag mooted
Earlier in the 2024/25 season, there were reports suggesting that Villa wanted as much as £12.5million for Barry. That number has since dropped though, with fresh insight suggesting that Aston Villa want £7million for Barry.
That could force the hand of a lot of clubs at the top end of the Championship who might now think Barry is an affordable player. For Sunderland though, £7million still seems out of their price range.
Unless the Black Cats cash in on one of their top stars early on in January, and for a sizeable fee too, a permanent swoop for Barry doesn’t seem all that likely.
The Black Cats are back in Championship action at home to Portsmouth on Sunday, in a 3pm kick off at the Stadium of Light.