Paul Heckingbottom has got used to losing his top players at Barnsley, especially since their promotion to the Championship, and not being able to bring in replacements of the same class.

That makes the job he has been doing at Oakwell all the more impressive, in my book, but he does need to get into the transfer market if he is to ensure that Barnsley are still in the second tier come the end of the season.

Heckingbottom will know that his budget is not big enough to compete with the bigger hitters in the Championship, so he has to look a little further afield, beyond the obvious to try and get a bargain or a rough diamond who can make the difference in his side's bid to beat the drop.

There are definitely players out there that can aid Barnsley's bid to beat the drop, you just need to look a little harder to find them...

Danny Newton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting ahead of the crowd and securing a reasonably cheap deal for players who are excelling further down the leagues is one way in which Barnsley can get a competitive advantage.

A man who fits that description perfectly is Stevenage striker Danny Newton. He is the biggest success to come out of the Jamie Vardy V9 Academy, which gives a non-league players, without an agent or any other real chance to go pro, the opportunity to progress through the leagues in the same way as the England man.

Clubs up and down the country are looking for players who know where the goal is and there is no reason why that talent could not translate to a higher division.

Newton has 11 goals to his name across all competitions for Stevenage this season, and I think that any potential deal for him need not be overly expensive.

Charlie Wyke

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another who has impressed further down the leagues in recent seasons is Charlie Wyke of Bradford City.

There are a host of Championship clubs interested and the price might get driven so high that Barnsley can't afford it but he is one that they should be going all the way to try and sign.

Other clubs may not be willing or able offer him the same kind of game time that Barnsley could and they look like a perfect next step in the player's development.

Wyke has 12 goals and 7 assists in all competitions so far this season and I don't see any reason why he couldn't continue that goalscoring form in the Championship.

It often comes down to firepower in the relegation battle and with concerns over the future of Tom Bradshaw, another frontman might be needed. I don't see too many better alternatives than Wyke.

Barnsley fans - what do you make of these suggestions? Are there other players you would like to see get over the line? Let us know in the comments below...