Championship side Barnsley may need to bring in quite a few new faces if they want to remain afloat in the second tier beyond the end of the season, after enduring a disastrous first half of their 2021/22 campaign.

Currently sitting bottom of the table after Derby County's victory against Sheffield United at the weekend, they are eight points adrift of safety and will need to battle against the odds as they seek to survive, with last summer proving to be nothing short of a disaster for them.

Although forward Daryl Dike was always expected to return to Orlando City, scoring nine goals in 19 Championship appearances for the Tykes, they would have been hoping to win promotion to the Premier League following their meteoric rise and sign him permanently.

 

 

That didn't work out though - and things went from bad to worse when they lost manager Valerien Ismael to West Bromwich Albion in late June - with ex-captain Alex Mowatt joining him at The Hawthorns at the start of the following month.

Not only was the latter's departure painful, but it was particularly gutting for fans of the second-tier side, knowing they had lost one of their most prized assets on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract at Oakwell.

Looking to the present then, they have plenty of gaps to address considering their current position and assets they lost during the previous window.

We take a look at just three Barnsley-related transfer talking points that are on the agenda at this stage.

Will Fulton be a useful asset?

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Soccer Football - Championship - Stoke City v Swansea City - bet365 Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent, Britain - March 3, 2021 Stoke City's Joe Allen in action with Swansea City's Jay Fulton Action Images/Carl Recine EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Barnsley have joined Blackpool in the race to sign Swansea City midfielder Jay Fulton, according to The Sun (paper edition 16/1; page 60).

The 27-year-old has found game time hard to come by under Russell Martin this term despite appearing as one of the first names on the teamsheet under predecessor Steve Cooper, with the likes of Matt Grimes and summer signing Flynn Downes being preferred for the ex-Norwich City man's style of play in South Wales.

Making just four league appearances during the 2020/21 campaign, his time at the Swansea.com Stadium may be coming to an end and he could potentially be available on a cut-price deal if Martin is eager to get him off the books to bring in a replacement who suits his philosophy.

Their loss could be the Tykes' gain though, providing a shield in front of the back three as an extra defensive layer and making the current relegation battlers a tough side to break down.

But do they need a Mowatt-like replacement instead? The Albion man recorded eight goals and seven assists in the second tier last term - and this goalscoring threat is something they are missing from midfield at this moment in time.

Time to cash in on Kitching?

Soccer Football - Championship - Barnsley v Sheffield United - Oakwell, Barnsley, Britain - October 24, 2021 Barnsley's Liam Kitching and Sheffield United's Iliman Ndiaye in action Action Images/Ed Sykes EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Midlands rivals Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion are both in the race for centre-back Liam Kitching, according to the Sunday Mirror (16/1; page 65).

Both interested sides currently operate in a back three, something the former Forest Green Rovers man became accustomed to under ex-bosses Ismael and Markus Schopp.

With the former knowing the 22-year-old inside out from their time together last term, he is thought to be interested in bringing him to the West Midlands with September signing Kean Bryan being ruled out of action for the remainder of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

And Harlee Dean being transfer listed may force Lee Bowyer back into the transfer market if he leaves St Andrew's this month, with Kitching seemingly being identified as a potential addition, possibly following Teden Mengi through the door as another centre-back reinforcement.

His contract doesn't run out until 2025 which will allow his current club to hold out for a sizeable sum of money - but how much should they demand for his services? That's something the club's hierarchy will need to work out.

One thing is for certain though - and that's the fact they will need to replace him if he goes.

Is a replacement for Woodrow needed?

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After recently undergoing knee surgery, captain Cauley Woodrow is likely to be out for the foreseeable future, though he wants to return to action before the end of the campaign.

In the meantime though, this absence is a huge blow to the Tykes after seeing the ex-Fulham man record 12 goals and six assists in 42 league outings last term.

He may have only scored four times in the second tier this season - but he is still going to be a considerable loss and this leaves Carlton Morris with a huge amount of weight on his shoulders to be the club's main talisman.

Is a replacement for the forward necessary though? Many people would say yes after Dike's summer return to Orlando and Mowatt's departure, so a new striker is likely to be at the top of their agenda.

With the 27-year-old being linked with a move to West Brom prior to his injury setback, the club may already have a shortlist of strikers to target, potentially making their task in bringing fresh blood in a lot quicker with under two weeks to go until the window shuts now.