Barnsley have completed the permanent signing of defender Michael Sollbauer from manager Gerhard Struber's former club Wolfsberger for an undisclosed fee, the Championship side have confirmed.

Sollbauer joined Wolfsberger back in the summer of 2010, and has since gone onto make 309 appearances in all competitions for the club, helping them win promotion to the Austrian Bundesliga in 2012, with the club retaining their position in the country's top-flight ever since.

The 29-year-old's time with Wolfsberger has now come to an end however, with Sollbauer putting pen to paper on a two-and-a-half-year deal with Barnsley that is set to keep him at Oakwell until the end of the 2021/22 season.

Speaking to the club's official website following confirmation of the deal, Barnsley manager Gerhard Struber spoke of his delight at reuniting with his former player, saying: “I know a lot about Michael and he will be great for the team. He is exactly the player we need.

"He has been captain at Wolfsberger AC for a long time and has plenty of first-team experience at a good level."

Explaining his desire to bring Sollbauer to the club, Struber continued: “It was important for me to have experience and to add to our defence in this window. I am very happy that Michael is here in Barnsley and I know he will be a positive impact and help us over the next weeks.”

Sollbauer is Barnsley's second signing from Wolfsberger this month, following the arrival of midfielder Marcel Ritzmaier on a permanent deal, and their third signing overall, with full-back Kilian Ludewig joining on loan from Red Bull Salzburg until the end of the season.

The Verdict

This could be a useful signing for Barnsley.

The Tykes' young defence has been crying out for some added experience so far this season, and at 29-years-old, Sollbauer who someone who looks as though he can provide that.

As a result, Barnsley will be hoping that this move will help to cut out some of the errors that have been costing them dearly in defence, which could give them a big boost in their battle for survival over the next few months.

It is also encouraging to see that Struber is being backed to add to his squad in the market, and it will be interesting to see if his familiarity with these new signings is something that helps Barnsley as well.