BARNSLEY look set to continue to fill the gaps in their first team squad in the coming days, with less than a month before the new season begins.
The EFL summer transfer window has been open for four weeks and closes in seven on August 30, while Barnsley have now been back in pre-season training for a fortnight. The League One season is due to begin in four weeks on August 9, with the Reds at home to Mansfield Town, while the first friendly is tomorrow at Alfreton Town.
The Reds had already brought back 2016 promotion-winners Conor Hourihane – who is now player/coach – and Marc Roberts.
This week they recruited goalkeeper Jackson Smith who had previously been at Walsall.
They are still thought to be targeting a left wing-back, midfielder and striker as priorities.
Barnsley have set targets for each position, many of which are young players from top level clubs who are likely to become available once others are back after the European Championships.
They are waiting to hear back from clubs after submitting several bids, with the hope of recruiting new players before the training camp in Loughborough at the end of the month.
The Reds are understood to be interested in Promise Omochere, Fleetwood Town’s 23-year-old Irish forward, but – as of yesterday – they were not thought to be close to an agreement, with Bristol Rovers also reportedly chasing him.
Left wing-back is potentially the most important position to fill quickly as there are no senior players currently at the club for whom that is their natural position. They have reportedly had a bid accepted for Birmingham's Emmanuel Longelo.
An academy player or a right wing-back is likely to fill in there in the first friendly of the season at Alfreton Town on Saturday.
As for midfielders, Hourihane – who has said he will not play regularly – joins star men Luca Connell and Adam Phillips as well as Matty Wolfe and Josh Benson, who have both returned from major injury problems, plus Jamaica international Jon Russell.
The Reds are thought to have been interested in Ipswich midfielder Idris El Mizouni – who they also had a bid rejected for in January – but he has now moved to Oxford United.
Callum Styles is thought to be of interest to several clubs but it is unclear whether any will hit the release clause in his contract, believed to be £2million, or if the Reds would accept less for a player with one year left on his deal in order to generate money for new signings and get his salary off their wagebill.
Styles, 24, is yet to return to pre-season training, having been given extra time off after being part of the Hungary squad that was knocked out in the group stage of the European Championships last month.
The Reds are keen to keep hold of star players like Phillips, Connell and Jalo who are all under contract for several years. They say they are only willing to sell for significant multi-million fees.
Barnsley have loaned out Andy Dallas to Barrow while Oli Shaw’s permanent move to Hamilton Academical is completed and set to be confirmed.
Others could be moved on in the coming weeks, such as at least one of centre-backs Conor McCarthy, Kacper Lopata and Jack Shepherd – who were all loaned out last season – and one of three right wing-backs Corey O’Keeffe, Barry Cotter and Kyran Lofthouse.
