Barnsley CEO Dane Murphy has revealed that three candidates, including Valérien Ismaël, are being considered for the vacant managerial role and a decision will be made in the next week.

The Tykes have been on the lookout for a new boss since Gerhard Struber joined New York Red Bulls at the start of the month.

And, it appears that significant progress is being made, with Murphy explaining the latest to BBC reporter Andy Giddings.

"We have it down to three. We have three strong candidates and we'll decide which way we want to go. Valérien Ismaël is in the final group, but when we've made our decision we'll let you know.

"We are looking at 2 coaches from overseas, but one of the three is English and very close to home. We have not picked up the phone to Doncaster or Darren Moore. He has been on our list in the past, but there has not been an enquiry. I would hope that by this exact time next week a decision will have been made."

It had been reported earlier today that Ismaël was in line for the job but the latest comments from Murphy suggest Adam Murray will continue to take the team ahead of Saturday's trip to Millwall.

The verdict

This is a good update for the fans as they know exactly where the club stand and it's clear that a decision is looming.

It has been a thorough search for the new boss, which is the right thing to do, and it will be interesting to see who lands the job.

Ismaël is one of the candidates and he has a good CV, particularly the work he did with LASK in Austria most recently. Ultimately, we will have to wait until an announcement is made but pleasingly for the support, a decision is close.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.