League One newcomers Barnsley are eyeing up a move for Portuguese left-back Christian 'Kiki' Afonso, according to the Daily Mail.

The Tykes are looking to rebuild and put together a squad capable of climbing back to the Championship at the first time of asking following last season's relegation, and they will do it under a new manager in Michael Duff.

And he is said to be eyeing up a switch for Afonso, who has played the majority of his professional career in his home nation and for the last three years has been plying his trade for Vizela, who made their debut in Portugal's top flight this past season.

In that campaign, the 27-year-old appeared 25 times in the Primeira Liga for Vizela, notching three assists in his outings, and featured at both left-back and centre-back as his side finished 14th and remained in the league for another season.

Afonso, who spent a brief time at Dagenham and Redbridge in 2013 without making a league appearance for them, is thought to be keen on making the move to Oakwell, with the South Yorkshire outfit said to be willing to put a two-year deal on the table for the defender.

The Verdict

This appears to be quite a left-field transfer target for Barnsley, who many thought would be changing their ways when it came to recruitment after appointing Duff as manager.

With the ex-Northern Ireland international's favoured system being a 3-5-2, Afonso could provide an option at both left wing-back and on the left-hand side of a back three as well.

He's clearly improved a lot since his brief spell at Dagenham & Redbridge nine years ago, and has been competing against some top teams in his home nation.

Afonso certainly isn't a name that Barnsley fans will be familiar with, but they soon might have to get to know all about him.