ANDY Ritchie jetted off on holiday today following week-long talks with chairman Gordon Shepherd about the battle plan for next season’s assault on the Championship. The Reds boss has drawn up a list of players he wants to keep and has also handed Shepherd a number of targets he would like to sign. One of those is believed to be Michael Chopra, the Newcastle United striker who scored 15 goals during a loan-spell at Oakwell in the 2004/05 season. He is out of contract but the Reds’ financial backer, Patrick Cryne, admitted in an exclusive interview he would like to see Chopra in a Barnsley shirt. “Michael Chopra’s name has been mentioned,” he added. “He is absolutely the kind of player I would like to see but it really comes down to the ambition of Michael Chopra. “He is the type of player we’re interested in. The fans sent out a clear message and Chopra knows he is very well liked at Barnsley. “We are not in the phase where we can formally approach players but I’m sure he is a player Andy Ritchie will track.” Although the Reds have benefited financially from Saturday’s victory in Cardiff, Cryne has warned the club needs to remain prudent. He added: “We have to strike the correct balance and make sure we don’t over-reach so badly it becomes a problem again. “We need to look at sensible investment in the team, rather than reckless speculation. “What we still need is more fans through the gates because supporters are vital to clubs in the Football League because there’s not access to huge sponsorship or TV money.”