After a highly-successful season whichever way you look at it, Barnsley now have to pick themselves up and go again ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.

No-one really expected the Tykes to challenge for promotion considering they only escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth in the previous campaign, and with Gerhard Struber leaving for the USA just a month into the season it threatened to be another season of struggle at Oakwell.

Step forward Valerien Ismael though who managed to transform a whole squad from strugglers into high-pressing machines and his coaching and management saw Barnsley finish in the top six to the surprise of many - only to fall to Swansea City over two legs in the play-off semi-finals.

We already know that Barnsley will be without star loanee Daryl Dike next season but the future of captain Alex Mowatt is also up in the air - with that in mind and the need for Ismael to strengthen his squad let's look at 10 Premier League players who didn't play an awful lot last season who could move to Oakwell for minutes.

Barnsley's defensive trio throughout the season was generally very solid, and it usually consisted of Michael Sollbauer, Michal Helik and Mads Andersen.

The Tykes kept 14 league clean sheets last season and they appear to have decent depth as well, with Toby Sibbick and Aapo Halme also in reserve but the position can always be strengthened.

What Ismael perhaps lacks is a natural left-sided defender in that back three and Kilman could perhaps provide that.

With a futsal pedigree, Kilman is not only very good with the ball at his feet but is also good in the tackle, and he could be the player to start bringing the ball out from the back for Ismael.

Kilman played 18 times in the Premier League last season but it remains to be seen if Bruno Lage has him in his plans - the Portuguese manager always played a back four when coaching Benfica so it could see Kilman's game-time limited.

Barnsley may have depth at centre-back and the same could be said for the left-wing-back slot - although how much Ismael trusts the understudies to Callum Styles is another matter.

Clarke Oduor played just 11 times last season and Ben Williams spent the entire campaign out with a knee injury, so Styles' position seems pretty safe after a breakthrough year, but what if he decides to revert Styles back into a midfielder if Alex Mowatt departs?

That leaves a vacancy and in the form of Everton's Niels Nkounkou, Barnsley could take a promising left-sided player and give him much-needed minutes.

The French youngster isn't getting minutes ahead of Lucas Digne anytime soon and whilst he may be needed as cover, a loan into the Championship would do him the world of good and his arrival could end up in turn making Styles one of the best midfielders in the division.

There must be a concern now that Alex Mowatt will depart Oakwell with just a few weeks remaining on his deal, so the Premier League must be scoured as there's some talented midfielders that will be desperate for games.

One of them is nearby in Leeds as Jamie Shackleton played 13 times under Marcelo Bielsa last season but the majority of those appearances were off the bench.

The 21-year-old is a promising talent and making the short move to Oakwell for the season could be a blessing in disguise for Shackleton, Bielsa and Barnsley.

He has shown to have some drive from midfield and playing in Bielsa's high-intensity system would mean that he'd be well suited to playing under Ismael.

Another midfielder at a big club who struggled for minutes last season is Matty Longstaff, and he's already being linked with a Championship move this summer to Derby County.

The younger brother of Sean was restricted to just five top flight outings in 2020-21 and has reportedly told the club he wants out due to broken promises regarding game-time.

If Newcastle aren't willing to sell though, a loan deal may be the next best thing and going into Barnsley - who have a young, hungry squad - could see Longstaff excel.

From the little we've seen of him at Premier League level, he could be a class above in the Championship but he needs that chance to prove himself over a full season.

Another player who may have an uncertain upcoming season, Gibbs-White was expected to have a fruitful loan spell at Swansea City last season until a fractured foot ruled him out for months.

He returned to Wolves in the January transfer window but was mainly left on the substitutes bench until the final few games of the campaign, but just after Nuno had given him a chance he has now been replaced by Bruno Lage.

We don't know if Lage will give Gibbs-White a chance but what we do know is that Barnsley will need a creative presence in the engine room should Alex Mowatt depart.

Gibbs-White could be that person - many Wolves fans will probably want the club to give the 21-year-old a chance in the first-team next season but if that doesn't happen, then another Championship move could be on the agenda.

Fans of every club know that attacking additions are the most exciting every summer, and with Valerien Ismael employing a three forward line-up, there should be a few coming in through the door soon.

Daryl Dike has headed back to America and you get the feeling that the likes of Dominik Frieser, Victor Adeboyejo and Conor Chaplin could be improved upon.

An option for a wide forward could be Norwich's Hernandez, who missed a large chunk of last season through injury but was sparingly used off the bench when he was back fit.

The 28-year-old Cuban international is likely not going to make much of an impact in the Premier League for the Canaries next season and he could figure a lot more for someone like Barnsley in the Championship.

Like the aforementioned Shackleton in midfield, another Leeds youngster could do with a full Championship season to develop and that is Ian Carlo Poveda.

The 21-year-old has played in some prestigious academies - Chelsea, Arsenal and Barcelona to name a few - and he has obvious talents, which is why Leeds brought him in from Man City in 2019.

He's just not going to get ahead of Raphinha and Jack Harrison next season though at Elland Road, but there's clearly some trust in his abilities considering he made 14 Premier League outings last season from the bench.

United do have adequate back-up in their wing areas to accommodate Poveda going out on loan and he could do a lot of damage under Ismael.

Now to look at some central striking options - Barnsley have Cauley Woodrow who once again hit double figures last season and also Carlton Morris, who scored seven times in 23 games for the Tykes following his January arrival.

Daryl Dike's signing though as well shows that another striker will be wanted by Ismael and someone who is already being touted for a Championship move to Barnsley's play-off nemesis' Swansea is Michael Obafemi.

The Ireland international was set to join the Welsh club in January but he suffered an injury which curtailed the deal - but he looks like the ideal type for Barnsley if they want to try and pull off a coup.

The 20-year-old played just four Premier League games last season and he's not going to get ahead of Danny Ings and Che Adams in the pecking order, and like many attackers a temporary switch to the Championship could do him good.

Another pacy striker who should be on the radar is Watford's Andre Gray - and in the past he's definitely guaranteed goals at Championship level.

Gray was prolific for both Brentford and Burnley and he's spent most of his time since 2016 in the Premier League, so he will have been disappointed at scoring just five Championship goals last season in 30 appearances.

There's still a player in there though and under the right manager and given the right service, the 29-year-old could be a 20 goal a season man once again.

He may not exactly suit Barnsley's high-pressing system but when he gets chances he's usually clinical and should he be available this summer, Gray should be on the shopping list.

Gray and Obafemi are pacy strikers but if Barnsley want more of a Dike replacement - a strong, powerful striker who can hold the ball up for others then Davis is surely near the top of the list.

Davis played 15 times for Aston Villa in the Premier League last season but they all came from the bench and with the return to fitness of Wesley, the 23-year-old will slip down the pecking order next season.

Despite signing a new contract at Villa Park recently until 2024, Davis won't be getting the desired game-time under Dean Smith next season and it would not be a shock if several Championship clubs were sniffing around already.

With their performances last season though, Barnsley could jump the queue for Davis if they really want him.