Barnsley head coach Paul Heckingbottom is in advanced negotiations with Premier League clubs over several loan signings of young players, with Liverpool's teenage winger Ryan Kent possibly the next to arrive at Oakwell.

Kent, 19, scored against the Reds while on loan at Coventry City last season and is wanted by several Championship clubs including Bristol City whose head coach Lee Johnson was in charge of Barnsley for that game. The current head coach at Oakwell Heckingbottom said: "Ryan Kent is a good player. There are a few clubs chasing him for a loan move.

"We saw what he did on loan at Coventry. At the moment he is playing with Liverpool's first team squad and it depends if he is surplus to requirements.  If we signed him it would be a loan."

Heckingbottom admits loans could be vital for adding quality as well as strength in depth to his squad, following the success of Ashley Fletcher and Lloyd Isgrove last season. There are no emergency loans next season so they will have until the end of August to fill up to five loan spots in a matchday squad with no chance to bring in anyone until January, apart from free agents.

The Reds boss said: "How we use the loan market will be important.  Loans are a good way to make our group better. They are less of a risk because they are short-term. There are five loan spots but we may not use them all if we can bring players in permanently who we can develop.

"We treat loan players like one of ours, look after them and make them better players. You saw that last season.  Hopefully we are impressing the parent clubs so they think of us when they want to send another player out on loan.

"We know what financial bracket we are in, we are right down there in the Championship. We have to get players from higher clubs on loan and also players from the lower leagues who have the potential to make the step up. They are our two targets.

"Our squad is looking good, regardless of signing anyone else. But we'd like to bring a few more in.  We've got information on hundreds of players so it's a case of, if someone comes along who is right for us and we can afford him, then we will go for him."

Barnsley would like to bring back winger Isgrove, who played 34 games for the Reds and scored his first goal in the play-off final in Wembley. He has been on pre-season tour with parent club Southampton. Heckingbottom said: "At the minute he is in and around their first team. He's on a good wage and if they want to sell him he's out of our price range. But we'd like to bring him back on loan if possible."

Barnsley have had an approach rejected for 22-year-old central midfielder Will Vaulks by Scottish Premier League club Falkirk. The Reds retain their interest in the Liverpudlian, who started at Tranmere Rovers, but several other Championship clubs are also tracking him. Heckingbottom said: "He's one we've watched. Will first came on our radar at the start of last season with some good performances. He's been converted from centre-back into central midfield."

Heckingbottom says he is currently happy with his options up front, with Belgian striker Jinty Caenepeel having left Oakwell. The 19-year-old spent last week at Barnsley and underwent medicals but the Reds were unable to agree a fee with Dutch second division side FC Eindhoven.

They currently have Sam Winnall and new signing Tom Bradshaw, who both netted 20 goals while in League One last season, as well as George Moncur, Elliot Lee and Marley Watkins who can all play up front or in midfield. Stefan Payne has netted four in two in friendlies while Shaun Tuton and Kayden Jackson have also played up front in pre-season first team games. Heckingbottom said: "We've got a lot of options up front. At the minute we have good lads in there and we're not focusing on that area as much as others."

Meanwhile, Heckingbottom is increasingly confident he will keep last season's promotion heroes at the club including centre-back Alfie Mawson who was the subject of a rejected bid from Johnson's Bristol City. There has also been interest in Sam Winnall and Conor Hourihane, whose contracts run out next year.

The head coach said: "There has been a lot of speculation and attention, probably for Alfie the most. That's testament to how our players played last season.  But they are in the Championship now and, if they continue to play that well at this level, then they will go for big money.  We know the value of our players. They are young so they are only going to get better.

"Why would we let them go on the cheap? That would be devaluing them.  We have some players who we believe will increase hugely in value by playing well in the Championship.  For some of them who are in the last year of their contracts, it might be case of them keeping us in the Championship then either staying with us or walking away and getting the benefits of their success with a contract somewhere else which sets them up for life. We would accept that."