A look at every deal Barnsley have done in the January transfer window which closed last night.
INCOMINGS
CLEMENT RODRIGUES
Darrell Clarke admitted on Saturday that the Reds were ‘desperate’ to strengthen in the forward area. The ‘one or two’ they were looking for became one, with the 24-year-old Frenchman arriving on loan from Bastia with Barnsley having a buy clause.
He turned professional in 2023 and has been in the French second tier for 18 months, scoring three goals in 17 league games this season for the mid-table Corsican club.
There will inevitably a lot of expectation on his shoulders to add goals for the Reds. It feels like a huge ask for a player new to English football without a prolific record in French professional football.
But Barnsley’s recruitment department have found several gems from overseas in recent years and they desperately need him to be another. There is certainly excitement within Oakwell about his potential.
Christophe Laurent, who covers Bastia for the Corse Matin newspaper, said: “Clement is a very nice guy but there was a lot of pressure on his shoulders. Two number nines left the team last summer and Clement was not supposed to be alone. So he had to succeed immediately and the step was too high.
"He did the job during the first months, scoring an important goal against Martigues – maybe his best play. He is skilful, he is brave. Maybe he’s not powerful enough in the duel. But most of all he needs self-confidence.”
DEXTER LEMBIKISA
A new right wing-back was not one of the positions the Reds were expected, by those on the outside, to recruit in on deadline day – especially with urgent attention seemingly needed in other areas.
Corey O’Keeffe has been arguably one of Barnsley’s best players in recent months, and has seven assists which is the second most in the division.
But Wolves loanee Lembikisa will add competition, potentially an impact off the bench and cover on the left where he can also play – with Georgie Gent not starting regularly since Boxing Day and Neil Farrugia nursing an injury.
JOE GAUCI
The Australian international was brought in on loan from Aston Villa last Thursday and immediately proclaimed the number one by Darrell Clarke.
This seemed harsh on Ben Killip who – other than a terrible day in windy conditions against Leyton Orient – had been one of Barnsley’s best players since he replaced his last Premier League loan rival Gaga Slonina in October.
Gauci is highly-rated and made a strong start with a clean sheet on Saturday but will face tougher tests in the next games.
NEIL FARRUGIA
The left wing-back arrived on January 3 and was Barnsley’s only signing of the transfer window for the next four weeks.
The 25-year-old turned down the chance to play for Shamrock Rovers in the knock-out stages of the Europa Conference League, having helped them through the group, and instead signed a two and a half year deal with the Reds as a free agent when his contract expired. He was brought in as competition and back-up to Georgie Gent who had been the only natural left wing-back.
The Irish youth international looked good in attack when he came off the bench for his debut at Bristol Rovers but was beaten too easily for the third home goal. He then was one of the better players on his full debut against Stevenage but has been out with a thigh problem ever since.
OUTGOINGS
BEN KILLIP
The first piece of business to be announced on deadline day and possibly the most surprising. The goalkeeper joined Championship Portsmouth on a permanent deal, just days after being dropped as Barnsley’s number one for Joe Gauci.
Unsurprisingly Killip was not happy with the decision to bench him after a generally solid three-month spell in the team having been number two previously.
It has been a fairly remarkable rise up the leagues for Killip, who was relegated out of the EFL as Hartlepool’s number two in 2023 but now finds himself in the second tier.
The original plan was for Jackson Smith to be loaned out for more experience but, in a statement on the club website, Mladen Sormaz said they had agreed that Killip could leave if he was replaced.
So Smith, who is yet to play a game for Barnsley, will stay and push Gauci for the starting spot.
SAM COSGROVE
The striker joined Barnsley’s fellow top ten League One club Stockport County on loan until the end of the season. He cannot play against his parent club at the weekend.
It would be difficult to argue that Cosgrove has been anything other than a major flop signing for the Reds. He arrived in 2023 after helping Plymouth to promotion but struggled to make an impact, mainly from the bench, in his first campaign until wowing in the play-offs with three goals against Bolton which seemed to hint at a bright second season.
After being first choice throughout pre-season, he started this campaign well, with a fine goal at Lincoln, but has since not netted in 19 appearances – mainly short cameos as a substitute having not started since October.
He has offered nothing in recent months. There is no point having a target man ‘something different’ option if he is anonymous and ineffective almost every time he takes to the field.
Cosgrove scored four goals in 58 league and cup games for Barnsley – most off the bench – while he has netted 15 times in 157 appearances in the English leagues. He is out of contract in the summer.
It is surprising that the fourth-placed club would sign someone with that record but it is also a sign of how difficult a market it has been to bring in strikers. Perhaps a change in scenary and being wanted will inspire an improvement in performances.
KYRAN LOFTHOUSE
Once they brought in wing-back Dexter Lembikisa, the Reds felt they could loan out Lofthouse for more experience in League One with Burton Albion.
The Brewers must have liked what they saw when he made a rare start against them on Saturday, despite playing out of position on the left, missing a big chance and being booed by his own fans for passing backwards.
He has shown glimpses of real promise off the bench this season, often playing in more attacking roles, and a few months of a relegation fight in the third tier should be very good experience for him.
Lofthouse – who played 25 games for Barnsley this campaign – will be 25 early next season which is the last year of his current Reds contract.
ANDY DALLAS
The striker has been loaned to League Two Morecambe who are his seventh club in less than two years.
The Reds gave him a three-year deal in 2023 as a relatively low cost gamble but, so far, whatever they saw in the data or clips of his National League career which made them think he could be a top end League One player has not translated onto the pitch.
Having said that, he did score a diving header on his debut last season then played regularly throughout August before being loaned out that window to Kilmarnock then non-league Oldham, not scoring for either.
He joined Barrow last summer, netting five goals before they sent him back this window. After move to Morecambe initially fell through due to a transfer embargo for the Shrimps, he eventually joined them and scored twice on his debut on Saturday.
AIDEN MARSH
The striker was loaned out to Scottish second tier club Raith Rovers for the remainder of the season. The 21-year-old from Monk Bretton has played 37 games for the Reds across four seasons, including 12 this campaign, but has never been able to keep his place in the squad for more than a few weeks at a time.
Clarke said all that was missing from his game was finishing and he could find goal-scoring form with Raith. He desperately wants to break through at his hometown club and a productive loan spell could keep him at Oakwell longer.
So far, he has a goal in two starts and two substitute appearances.
He is due to play in arguably the biggest event of his career on Saturday when Raith visit Celtic in the Scottish Cup.
VIMAL YOGANATHAN
The highly-rated 19-year-old midfielder signed a new long-term deal then was loaned out to National League promotion-chasers Oldham Athletic.
A deal until 2029, if they take their option for an extra year, shows they rate the academy product very highly.
He came off the bench for the Latics late on on Saturday.
