Leeds United defender Tom Pearce is expected to join Barnsley on a permanent deal before the end of the transfer window, according to LeedsLive.

Barnsley head coach Daniel Stendel is keen to strengthen his defensive options before the transfer deadline on Thursday and has identified the 21-year-old as one of his top transfer targets.

This latest report states that the left-back is expected to sign a three-year deal at Oakwell for a six-figure fee plus add-ons.

Pearce came through the academy at Leeds and made his breakthrough for the first-team towards the end of the 2017/18 season under Paul Heckingbottom.

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He went on to make five appearances for Leeds in the Championship that season and scored his first goal for the club in a win over Barnsley at Elland Road.

The left-back made five appearances for Leeds under Marcelo Bielsa last season, but spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Scunthorpe United in League One.

Pearce would become the third player to join Barnsley from Leeds this summer, with defender Aapo Halme and winger Mallik Wilks both moving to Oakwell on permanent deals.

The Verdict

This could be a good signing for Barnsley. Pearce is a decent player, but he probably isn't going to get much of a chance at Elland Road this season, so it would make sense for him to leave Leeds in search of regular first-team football.

He's got a lot of potential though and he's already got some experience in the Championship, so he'd know exactly what to expect when it comes to the physical demands of the division.

He might not be a guaranteed starter for Barnsley at left-back, but he'd be a good option for Stendel to have in his squad and would provide cover and competition for Ben Williams and Daniel Pinollosal.