Darrell Clarke suggested Barnsley could sign a free agent before the weekend and said he hoped that player could make an impact on the team straight away.

Although the January transfer window closed last week, the Reds can still sign unattached players.

Clarke revealed last week that he was speaking to one on a Zoom call then said at the weekend that the meeting went well and he hoped the deal could be completed this week. He is thought to be an overseas player.

On Thursday, head coach Clarke said: “Hopefully there will be positive news back end of this week. Fingers crossed we get it done.

“It’s one specific player that we’re trying to get over the line.”

Free agents can often take time to get up to full fitness if they have not been training with a club. Asked if the new player would be ready to play immediately, Clarke told the Chronicle: “That’s the hope. The recruitment team has identified this player to come in and we want him to hit the ground running, obviously. We will see where his levels are at and hopefully he’s not going to be a million miles off.”

The Reds are low on strikers, with few consistently efficient options this season other than 11-goal top-scorer Davis Keillor-Dunn.

Max Watters and Fabio Jalo are both injured until March while Stephen Humphrys missed last weekend’s loss at Stockport County due to illness.

Frenchman Clement Rodrigues, who signed on deadline day last week on loan from Bastia with a fee agreed for the summer if the Reds wish to sign him, made his debut on Saturday but was taken off at half-time.

He was replaced by left wing-back Neil Farrugia, who played up front, while academy product Josiah Dyer was on the bench for a second successive game but did not make his league debut.

In the January window, Barnsley loaned out strikers Aiden Marsh, Andy Dallas and Sam Cosgrove to Raith Rovers, Morecambe and Stockport County respectively.