BARNSLEY look likely to go into the final full week of January looking for attackers who can ‘hit the ground running’ during their hectic second half of the season.

There are now ten days remaining in the transfer window which is due to close on Monday, February 2.

So far Barnsley have signed Eoghan O’Connell, Owen Goodman and Charlie Lennon. They have let seven players leave, either sending loanees back or moving on fringe players, but have so far kept hold of their star men such as Reyes Cleary and Davis Keillor-Dunn.

They are thought to be looking for another striker with pace and a right-winger, with youngsters Fabio Jalo and Leo Farrell due to be loaned out for experience if incomings arrive.

As of Thursday, a signing before the weekend was not imminent but not impossible.

Swansea striker Bobby Wales is thought to be someone the Reds are interested in but the 20-year-old has also been linked with other League One clubs. Reports that Chelsea winger Jimmy-Jay Morgan will leave loan club Peterborough to join the Reds are thought to be wide of the mark.

Barnsley finish the season with 24 games in 98 days from Saturday.

Head coach Conor Hourihane told the Chronicle: “We want to keep our best players in the building and it’s important to add a couple of players at the top of the pitch.

“Then, from a numbers point of view in this busy period, we will be in a decent place to have options and different formation changes.

“Hopefully that’ll be the case by this time next week when the window is coming to a close.”

Teenager Lennon was the latest arrival but Hourihane is hoping to sign more experienced players in the remainder of the window.

He said: “From a permanent point of view, if anything was to come in the door, you are potentially looking at the younger ones that are ours and we can develop. When you look at loans, age probably isn’t as high a factor because they are not our player.

“I don’t think you’re looking at Charlie’s age all the time.

“It’s finding the right balance because we’re very fortunate with the young players we have but ultimately we need older players to guide them.

“I would like one or two to come in the building who won’t take time to evolve and develop, they know the level and the league and the EFL so, in our busy schedule, they can hit the ground running a little bit more.

“That would be the ideal scenario.

“With Charlie we’ve ticked the box in terms of development, and that’s the route we’re going down, but can we get one or two bodies in the building that don’t need time to develop and can get into the squad straight away?”

The Reds, who have games in hand on all other clubs, were 15th in League One before Thursday night’s game. They are three points clear of the relegation zone and seven off the top six.

They beat Blackpool on Saturday and now visit Reading and Cardiff then host Stevenage before the transfer deadline.

Asked if good results in those games would make it easier to persuade new signings to join the club, Hourihane told the Chronicle: “I don’t think so.

“You want to join or you don’t.

“Can we get a couple of positive results before the window closes regardless of signings? That will be the case anyway.

“Everyone knows where we are at and we want to try to push up the table.

“Hopefully a couple of signings add energy and buzz regardless of results and hopefully we get ourselves into a decent place come the end of the window.”

Keillor-Dunn and Cleary are continually linked with moves away from Oakwell, with Barnsley having rejected four bids for Cleary in the opening weeks of the window.

In his pre-match press conference, Hourihane said: “There have been no more bids to my knowledge. Everyone is in the building and in good spirits.

“No one is telling me about any bids for anyone.”

Winger Lennon, 19, signed from Middlesbrough on a deal until 2028 with an option for an extra year in the club’s favour.

He came through Middlesbrough’s youth system and played once in the Championship in April 2024.

The England youth international spent the first half of this season on loan at National League North side Darlington, scoring twice in 19 games.

Hourihane confirmed he is mainly a left-winger who will be back up to star player Cleary.

The head coach said: “We need some patience around Charlie. He’s an exciting winger we like.

“He’s been playing at Darlington.

“He is one who has got potential to improve and develop but he will take time to get up to speed.

“The plan is for him to get minutes when needed to take the load off Reyes.

“It’s really important he gets to know how we play as quick as possible.”

The Reds are hoping to move on Kelechi Nwakali who has not featured at all in the first team this season.

The Nigeria international midfielder is contracted until the end of next season.

Defender Kacper Lopata was loaned to Walsall late last week.