Barnsley's search for new strikers goes on after a deal to bring Jonathan Forte to Oakwell from Oldham Athletic broke down yesterday.
The Reds were in advanced negotiations over a move for the Sheffield-born Barbados international, who turns 29 tomorrow. He scored 15 goals in 34 league games for the Latics last season but has suffered with persistent injury problems throughout his career. He was brought to Oldham last summer by then manager Lee Johnson, who is now Barnsley's head coach and the pair looked set to link up again yesterday but a club source revealed last night that the move had stalled and the Reds were looking at other targets.
Crawley's Izale McLeod is one of several front men on Barnsley's radar after he scored 21 goals despite relegation last season including a winner at Oakwell on the opening day and a hat-trick in the 5-1 thrashing of the Reds in Sussex in February. But Crawley are unlikely to let him go unless they receive a significant fee which the Reds may not be willing to pay for a 30-year-old although they are increasingly keen to add to a strikers department that currently includes just Sam Winnall and Conor Wilkinson.
A less high-profile signing could be Frickley Athletic striker Reece Thompson. The Reds are trying to get the 21-year-old on trial at Oakwell but face competition from a host of Football League clubs.
Barnsley appear less likely to bring in David Ball who impressed on trial with the Reds against Mansfield on Saturday, scoring a fine lobbed goal. The 25-year-old, who netted eight times in 32 League One games for Fleetwood last season, did not travel to the training camp in Scotland the next day as planned after his agent spoke to Johnson on the phone on Saturday night.
Johnson told the Chronicle: "The David Ball deal is on ice at the moment. We were given an ultimatum, not by the player but by his agent. He said: 'He's scored in the friendly, it's now or never, you offer him a contract or he goes'. I didn't like the ultimatum so we have let the situation cool. He's a good player but we already have a number of players who can play just off the main striker. Our priority is getting someone with pace and power up front."
Johnson's frustration with agents has been provoked further by reports that the Reds were set to bid £500,000 for Birmingham's third choice goalkeeper Nick Townsend as a replacement for Ross Turnbull who left for Leeds last week. The head coach insists no approach has been made and said: "The link came from an agent and it's disappointing that that came out. John Vaughan (goalkeeper coach) used to be at Birmingham, we lost Ross Turnbull, and we asked the question about a possible loan (for Townsend). "Then it has been blown out of proportion and I have heard crazy figures like half a million. We certainly wouldn't pay that for a goalkeeper.
"We don't definitely need a new goalkeeper. Adam Davies is our number one, Christian Dibble needs to do a bit more on the physical side but he's a very good goalkeeper and we've got Jack Walton (second year academy scholar) who we rate very highly. "You ask questions of 100 players a day and sometimes the agent gets lively and makes it seem much bigger than it is."
One piece of business that took place yesterday was the termination of James Bailey's contract. The central midfielder, 26, played 29 games for the Oakwell club after joining last summer on a two-year deal but has been on the transfer list since May. He is expected to complete a move to the Indian leagues.
