IT HAS been a challenging first week of the transfer window for Barnsley while they may go into the opening week of pre-season without a new first team signing for the first time since 2018.

The window opened on Monday with head coach Daniel Stendel returning for full-time work on Wednesday.

The players are due back on Wednesday of next week with the fixtures to be announced the following day.

They will not be joined by last season’s top-scorer David McGoldrick who turned down a new deal and moved to Mansfield Town.

Adam Phillips is also unlikely to remain at Oakwell as a move to League One rivals and Yorkshire neighbours Bradford City was thought to be close to completion as of Thursday.

Potential replacements for the duo – who netted 29 goals between them in all competitions last season – will now be on a long list of requirements for incoming signings for the Reds during what is expected to be a busy summer.

Chief executive Jon Flatman hinted in a recent interview with the Chronicle that, while he hoped for some early business, Barnsley would be willing to wait until late in the window for the right new signings.

The last time the Reds did not sign anyone for their first team before pre-season training began – other than in 2020 when the season was moved during the Covid-19 pandemic – was 2018 when Stendel had just taken charge of a squad which barely required any tweaking before finishing second in League One.

Their first signing of last summer, loan goalkeeper Murphy Cooper, joined the squad on the first day of pre-season.

This time there is a huge summer of recruitment expected with no senior strikers at the club and other positions set to be added to such as centre-back, full-back, winger and potentially goalkeeper with Jackson Smith’s future unclear after a successful loan at Grimsby Town.

The Reds are thought to have already agreed a deal with non-league Scarborough Athletic for centre-back Callum Hudson, as reported earlier in the year.

The 18-year-old, who spent time at Guiseley on loan last season and has captained England schoolboys, is expected to be part of the Reds’ under 21s squad which will be managed by Nicky Eaden who has again been moved up from the under 18s.

He could be joined by Isaac Smith, another centre-back, who spent time on loan to Barnsley’s under 21s last month.

Smith, who turns 21 in July, is thought to have been in talks over a permanent move this summer.

Those two could join a long list of young centre-backs at the club including Kacper Lopata and Connor Barratt who were both loaned out last season and have a year remaining on their contracts.

But the only players in that position who have been regulars in the first team are Mael de Gevigney, Josh Earl and Jack Shepherd, with the Reds thought to be keen to strengthen their defence having kept just four league clean sheets last season.

Eoghan O’Connell was offered a new deal after spending the second half of last season on loan at Oakwell but he is thought to be have interest from other clubs and there are doubts over whether he will return next week.

Meanwhile, Phillips may not be the only high-profile sale this summer.

Reyes Cleary has been the subject of interest throughout 2026 but the Reds are holding out for a substantial multi-million deal for the highly-rated 22-year-old winger.

Captain Luca Connell is thought to be wanted by League One rivals Luton Town and CEO Jon Flatman has said they will do a deal if it is right for all parties. Connell’s fellow midfielder Patrick Kelly – who has a long contract at the club and scored for Northern Ireland against France last week – is also thought to be of interest to rival clubs this summer.

The EFL summer transfer window is now open until deadline day on Tuesday, September 1.