Five positions Barnsley need to strengthen this summer

Striker 

Barnsley need a few additions up front this summer. Right now, the only senior striker in the squad under contractis 20-year-old Leo Farrell who is yet to start a game for The Reds. Whether last season's top-scorer David McGoldrick will extend is up in the air, and if he decides to move on that will be a blow. Strikers are notoriously hard to recruit, which Barnsley have witnessed first-hand in recent years, however there is the reported £2 million from the winter window sale of Davis-Keillor Dunn to Wrexham which could be spent on bringing forwards to Oakwell. 

Winger 

With Daniel Stendel appointed as head coach, it is likely Barnsley will continue to play with wingers after the switch from a back three to back four under Conor Hourihane last season saw wingbacks replaced with wingers. Right now, with Scott Banks unlikely to return from his loan, the only wingers in the squad are Reyes Cleary and Charlie Lennon, who both primarily play on the left. There is expected to be heavy interest in Cleary in the summer as there was in January, and the 22-year-old is not short of suitors. It is also a lot to ask of Lennon to come straight in and perform next campaign after making just three League One appearances in 2025/26. Adam Phillips could be a good fit on the right, similar to Brad Potts in first half of the 2018/19 season under Stendel. However, another option may be needed on the right as The Reds will not want to leave themselves short like they did with strikers last season. Another option may also be needed on the left if Cleary departs and Lennon is loaned out, which I could see happening. 

Central midfield 

Another good bit of business for Barnsley would be bringing in an experienced midfielder. The Reds have a very youthful midfield, which will work well in Stendel's pressing system, however an experienced midfielder such as Oliver Norwood at Stockport can elevate a side. We saw how beneficial Matty James was in 2020/21 in terms of leadership and there are options out there that could come in and help Barnsley. A replacement may also be needed for captain Luca Connell, as he was reportedly close to a move to Luton Town in January. 

Left back 

One major issue for Barnsley this campaign was the inability to find a permanent starting left back. Josh Earl, Georgie Gent, Tennai Watson and Jack Shepherd were all given chances there, and none of them managed to hold the position down. Naturally, Gent seems like a good fit as a left back in a Stendel system, as he is an attacking full back. However, Barnsley wanted to loan Gent out last January, showing perhaps some at Oakwell don't believe he is ready to start week in week out. However, Stendel has come in and will make his own judgement, plus another left back would add depth to position and mean The Reds don't have to play centre backs there out-of-position. 

Centre back 

Defensive issues were the primary reason Barnsley finished in a lowly 15th position in League One last season. The Reds kept just four clean sheets and conceded 73 goals last campaign. Barnsley currently need to freshen up the defence, and it is unclear whether Eoghan O’Connell will sign a new deal currently. A quality central defender would hopefully bring stability to a shaky backline, and mean The Reds aren’t required to go all-out attack to win games, which brought issues last season when the goals started to dry up. Last time Stendel oversaw The Reds in League One, he had Ethan Pinnock and Liam Lindsay and the best defensive record in the division, showing how important a solid defence is in gaining promotion.