Barnsley need to strengthen their squad after a turbulent transfer window and Sam Hughes appears to be at the top of their list.
Prodigious Chester City centre-back Sam Hughes has told The Standard that he was disappointed at not being given the opportunity to speak to reported suitors Barnsley in the January transfer window.
The publication reports that the 19-year-old, whose impressive performances in the National League have also caught the eye of Aston Villa and Wolves, was the subject of a ‘substantial offer’ from Paul Heckingbottom’s side last month.
However, Hughes, who may have been lined up as a long-term replacement for transfer-linked centre-back Marc Roberts, has admitted that he was unhappy about the way Chester denied him the chance to make the substantial step up to the second tier of the English game.
“These things happen in football. I was aware there were a couple of clubs looking at me and then Barnsley made a bid, but at the end of the day it wasn’t meant to be,” he explained to The Standard.
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“It’s frustrating because everyone wants to achieve the most they can and play as high as they can. That’s not just in football it’s in anything they do.”
Nonetheless, it would be little surprise if The Tykes were to return with another offer in the summer as Heckingbottom aims to rebuild a side ravaged by the January transfer window. Captain Conor Hourihane, top scorer Sam Winnall and teenage right-back James Bree all departed for Championship rivals with Marley Watkins and Roberts (below) expected to join them at the end of the season.
Barnsley have developed a reputation for signing and improving promising talents from lower down the footballing ladder so Hughes certainly fits the bill.
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And The Tykes already appear to have the edge on Villa and Wolves in the race for his signature.
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