Clubs will have to pay Barnsley a £2million compensation fee if they are to prise manager Valerien Ismael away from Oakwell, The Sun journalist Alan Nixon has revealed.

Ismael has worked wonders since taking over the Tykes last October, guiding the club to a Championship play-off place just a year after they avoided relegation on the final day of last season.

That has seen the 45-year-old linked with a number of other managerial roles recently, with Crystal Palace and West Brom  both credited with an Ismael.

Now however, it appears as though it will not be easy for those clubs to secure the services of the Barnsley boss.

According to this latest update from Nixon, there is a £2million compensation clause in Ismael's contract that clubs will have to pay Barnsley for the 45-year-old, which is said to be putting certain clubs off a move for the Tykes manager.

As things stand, there are still two years remaining on Ismael's contract with Barnsley, securing his future at Oakwell until the end of the 2022/23 season.

The Verdict

This will surely be a boost for Barnsley in my opinion.

Ismael has done brilliantly since taking over at Oakwell, taking the club to an unprecedented top six finish in the Championship last season.

As a result, the Tykes will surely not want to lose him if at all possible, and this compensation clause does give some protection again that happening.

Indeed, even if Ismael does depart while still under contract, this clause also means that they will at least receive some useful funds for the manager, something they will then be able to reinvest into the club.