Championship pair Cardiff City and Stoke City are interested in signing Barnsley midfielder Cameron McGeehan, a source close to the player has exclusively confirmed to Football League World’s Chief Editor Sam Rourke.

The midfielder has been at the club since 2017 after signing from Luton Town and has gone on to make over 50 appearances as he battled through a lengthy injury layoff, but is impressing this season under the three head coaches that have taken charge at Oakwell.

Currently, McGeehan has played 12 times this season for the Tykes, scoring two goals in the process. He has been an important part of the Barnsley side that is looking to stave off relegation under new head coach Gerhard Struber, as they currently sit seven points adrift of safety. 

Stoke City currently find themselves at the same end of the table as Barnsley as they look to fight for survival, while Cardiff City are looking towards the play-offs heading into the January transfer window.

A source close to the player has exclusively confirmed to Football League World’s Chief Editor Sam Rourke that the pair are keen on signing the midfielder from Oakwell.

Here, we take a look at three things the Barnsley man must consider as their rivals plot a transfer swoop…

Would it be right to move now?

Having signed a new contract in the summer, extending his stay at the South Yorkshire club by an extra two years, it wouldn’t make much sense to leave as soon as clubs come calling.

While he has the quality to play in the league beyond just one ill-fated campaign, he could be better suited to sticking with the Tykes for the time being while the side develops under new coach Gerhard Struber.

The side are yet to find any consistency in results as the same problems continue to crop up, but there are definite improvements in the midfield and attack that will be sure to make McGeehan think twice about jumping ship.

Which club would be better?

The two sides are in contrasting positions at the moment as Stoke City are struggling in the relegation zone alongside Barnsley, while Cardiff are within touching distance of the play-off places heading into the weekend’s fixtures.

The debate would then be for which club presents the wisest move for McGeehan, which would appear to be the Bluebirds as they are in a much stronger position than the Potters and look like they are more stable heading into the rest of this season and going forward beyond then.

At present, moving to Stoke would be a sidestep in his career as they are only four points better off and still in the relegation zone. Cardiff have a legitimate chance to build up momentum and consolidate a place in the top six.

Would he fit in?

Both sides are very strong in midfield where McGeehan would like to operate which would present him with the dilemma of how much game time he would be guaranteed at either club.

At Oakwell, McGeehan is a very important first-team player and the same cannot be said for if he joined Cardiff or Stoke because they have strong players in the middle of the park.

As is the case with players who make the apparent step up in standards from their current club, there is no certainty that first-team regularity will follow, especially with both sides under pressure to produce results quickly to achieve their goals, meaning a transfer gamble might scupper his prospects of regular football.