Barnsley set for Callum Styles blow as recruitment issues continue | OneFootball

The Tykes' star looks likely to depart Oakwell soon

Highlights

Callum Styles looks set for a permanent move away from Barnsley to join a Championship club, while the Tykes have hit a snag in their deal for Mansfield Town's Davis Keillor-Dunn.

The Barnsley Chronicle has reported that negotiations between Styles and the unnamed side were thought to have reached an advanced stage earlier this week, and he is now set to seal a transfer away from Oakwell to end his six-year association with the Tykes.

The same report states that the situation surrounding the move is complicated, due to a striker potentially joining the Reds in the opposite direction, while Styles is believed to have a release clause of around £2m, but it is unclear if the club have accepted a lesser fee, or not.

The Hungarian international has played over 150 games for the Tykes since his 2018 arrival from Bury, but has only been a part of their first-team squad for six months across the last two seasons amid relatively unsuccessful second-tier loan spells at Millwall and Sunderland.

Keillor-Dunn, meanwhile, has been one of Barnsley's main targets all summer, but the Chronicle understands that it is unclear if they will be able to agree a deal for the 26-year-old after Mansfield were understood to have demanded a fee of £750,000 after the two clubs met on the opening day of the League One season, which the Reds have been reluctant to pay so far.

Styles' transfer saga looks to have come to an end

After his previous loan spells, it came as no surprise that Styles was looking for an Oakwell exit this summer following his Euro 2024 exploits with Hungary, and it looks as if he has got his move back to the Championship, this time on a permanent deal.

It is unclear which club he is set to join, but there is a good chance that he could be heading south to West Brom, after previous rumours linking him with a move to The Hawthorns.

Sky Sports reported earlier this month that the Baggies had seen an initial bid rejected for the 24-year-old, but had retained their interest in his signature, which could potentially have led to another bid being launched in the last week.

Styles had also been the subject of interest from third-tier Birmingham City, after Alan Nixon stated earlier in the summer that the Blues were exploring a potential deal, but recent reports have confirmed that he is set to move to the second-tier and not League One.

It is very clear that Barnsley are after reinforcements in the final third this summer after Devante Cole's exit to West Brom, but they are yet to bring in any first-team strikers, with Keillor-Dunn high on their list of potential incomings but a move now looking unlikely due to the Stags' high demands.

The Chronicle reports that the two clubs were close to agreeing a fee last week, but their £750,000 price tag has put the move in jeopardy, which has made Tykes boss Darrell Clarke even more aware of the need for new additions.

“We’re looking for two (or) three strikers," he told the Chronicle.

“Competition for places is obviously what we need, and we need some real quality in that area of the pitch.

“We’re in for players. Clubs don’t want to lose top strikers.

“Top teams have four or five top strikers. That’s what we need to get to, and I am sure we will do.”

It is still unclear whether the 26-year-old will make the long-awaited move to Barnsley, but they certainly need to step up their transfer activities in the coming weeks, after a poor start to the season in which they lost to Nigel Clough's side 2-1 in the League One curtain raiser at Oakwell.