Barnsley are certainly struggling this year in the Championship, both in terms of results and in front of goal.

After a superb season last time out which saw them seal a top six finish, they had to make do with a completely different kind of battle this year, as they bid to try and avoid the drop.

One area for concern with the Tykes has been their profligacy in front of goal - they've been wasteful and unable to bag many of the chances created for them.

The usually reliable Cauley Woodrow just cannot find his shooting boots right now and Daryl Dike and Alex Mowatt have long since departed Oakwell.

They'll certainly need to address this issue then if they can in the January window. But where should they turn to in their need for someone who can help fire them away from the relegation zone and towards second tier safety?

They might not have to look too far from home.

With Rotherham impressing in League One, it's hard not to pay attention to how well their rivals are doing. The club are perched nicely at the very top of the third tier and a large part of the reason comes down to the goalscoring prowess of Michael Smith.

The 30-year-old has been on fire this campaign and is having one of his best ever seasons in a Rotherham shirt. With 12 goals and five assists in just 18 matches, he is averaging just under one goal contribution per game.

It is an incredible record and it might tempt Barnsley into prising him away from the Millers in an effort to aid them in their relegation battle.

A deal could certainly be reached. It would be stupid of the Millers to let their best attacking threat leave in the middle of the season, as they would then ultimately suffer in the second part of the campaign. For that reason, they're unlikely to want to let him go.

However, they may not have much choice. The player himself has a deal that runs out at the end of the season and if Barnsley come sniffing, he may fancy taking his chances with a move to Oakwell. There is no fresh deal yet agreed, so Rotherham risk losing him for nothing in the summer if they don't sell him in the winter window.

For Barnsley, Smith is a player they might quite like. He is experienced in the second tier, has proven he can score goals at that level and below and is currently in the form of his life. If they take him now, they're getting a player who has never been as accurate in front of goal and if he can carry that a league higher, then it is exactly what they need.

Add in the fact that a deal could be done for relatively cheap - with his deal expiring, he might cost a lot less than normal - it means that there is every chance that Rotherham could be tempted into doing business with even a fairly small fee.

Rotherham wouldn't like it one bit - but it's something that Barnsley should consider doing once the winter window opens its doors.