BARNSLEY are hoping to bring in at least one more player in the final week before the new season starts, with Cheltenham Town winger Jordan Thomas a target as well as a new right-back.
The Reds travel down to Devon for their opening game of the season at Plymouth Argyle on Saturday, August 2.
There are 37 days remaining in the transfer window which is due to shut on Monday, September 1.
In the last week, Barnsley signed Caylan Vickers on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion.
In the previous month, they had also brought in Murphy Cooper, Nathanael Ogbeta, Reyes Cleary and David McGoldrick.
Cooper, Vickers and Ogbeta are all loanees, with only five allowed in matchday squads, so Barnsley are now hoping to focus on permanent deals – while not entirely ruling out more loans.
They are hoping to sign at least one more winger and had a bid rejected for Cheltenham’s Thomas this week.
It is thought to have been below the release clause of £250,000 but it is possible that the Reds will go back in with another bid for the player who is out of contract next summer.
Thomas, 24, who had been playing non-league football before Cheltenham signed him in January last year, scored eight goals in League Two last season.
The former Didcot, North Leigh and Bath City player is a left-footed winger who mainly plays on the right.
The Reds have already brought in wingers Vickers and Cleary this summer but, with Fabio Jalo set to miss at least the first quarter of the season due to injury, they are likely to further strengthen in that position.
Right-back is another area they are expected to recruit in soon.
There are currently no natural right-backs in the senior squad.
Mael de Gevigney, a centre-back, has filled in there throughout pre-season.
Teenager Jono Bland finished last season at right-back but has been back in his usual position of central midfield so far this summer.
They are looking for a player who can play on the right of a back four, having moved on right wing-backs Corey O’Keeffe and Barry Cotter this summer with Kyran Lofthouse potentially also leaving.
Meanwhile, wing-back O’Keeffe and striker Max Watters left on season-long loans to Stockport County and Dundee United late last week.
Both are thought to have been reasonably high-earners within the Barnsley squad.
Others are also expected to move on, including defender Kacper Lopata, wing-back Lofthouse and striker Andy Dallas – all of whom were loaned out last season while none of them have featured in pre-season friendlies this summer.
Lofthouse is thought to be of interest to Burton Albion, where he spent the second half of last season on loan but it is not clear if any potential move would be a loan or a permanent deal.
The Reds have been expected to sell players this summer.
So far they have kept hold of last season’s top-scorer Davis Keillor-Dunn, as well as midfielders Luca Connell, Adam Phillips and Jon Russell.
Wycombe have bid several times for Connell but they have all been rejected as they do not meet Barnsley’s valuation for their captain.
Connell has not played in either friendly this week due to an injury.
Russell has returned after international duty with Jamaica and played in both friendlies this week.
