There can be no denying that Elliot Simoes looks like a player with all the tools to have a bright future but we never quite saw the best of him at Oakwell.

The 21-year-old had moments in a Barnsley shirt where you felt things may be about to click for him, including the winner against QPR, but ultimately it is understandable that the Yorkshire club let him go in the summer.

Simoes had made just 27 appearances since joining the Tykes from non-league side FC United of Manchester in January 2019, scoring three times, and looked to have fallen out of favour completely by the end of the 2020/21 campaign after spending the second half of the season on loan at Doncaster Rovers.

By joining French second-tier club AS Nancy in the summer, the attacker linked up with a face that will be very familiar to Barnsley supporters – former manager Daniel Stendel.

Stendel had been sacked by the Tykes months before Simoes arrival and has since been given his marching orders by the Ligue 2 outfit as well.

Simoes has fared slightly better than the Austrian coach at Nancy over the last few months but it has still been a fairly testing period for the forward.

His club are bottom of the French second tier and five points adrift of safety after 13 games, while the 21-year-old has mostly been restricted to substitute appearances.

Simoes has started just twice all term and is yet to add either a goal or an assist for his new club. In fact, the forward has taken just two shots (none on target), provided two shot assists, connected with none of his five crosses, and taken just four touches in the opposition penalty area (Wyscout).

However, he's not been afraid to carry the ball and take on defenders, as his average dribbles per 90 of 7.38 at a success rate of 37.5% show, while he has put some work in without the ball and averages 3.69 interceptions per 90 with a defensive duel success rate of 55.6%.

Nancy will want to see more from him moving forward but given he penned a four-year deal on arrival you feel they'll be prepared to be patient with him.

When you consider he was playing non-league football a little less than three years ago, it's been an impressive rise for the Angolan attacker and he's had three clubs in that time, so it may be that he needs to properly settle in France before properly kicking on.

Tykes fans will no doubt be keen to keep an eye on how he gets on.