West Bromwich Albion want to raid Barnsley for Cauley Woodrow and Callum Styles in the January transfer window though, according to reports, Valerien Ismael Baggies will face competition from Scottish giants Celtic.
Seven points adrift of safety with half of the season gone, there may be a shortage of Christmas cheer in South Yorkshire this year.
And if Barnsley boss Poya Asbaghi plans to make the greatest of great escapes his New Year’s resolution, the looming spectre of Valerien Ismael hanging over Oakwell is the last thing he needs.
Ismael transformed Barnsley from relegation favourites into play-off dark horses last season, an achievement which looks more remarkable now than it did even then.
And with his promotion-chasing West Brom side dropping points for the fifth time in seven Championship games on Saturday – held to a 0-0 draw at Ismael’s old stomping ground – reports suggest that the Baggies boss plans to reunite with a couple of familiar faces in an attempt to breathe fresh life into an ailing title charge.
Will West Brom sign two Barnsley pairs in January?
According to The Athletic, West Brom want Cauley Woodrow in the January transfer window.
Technically-gifted and blessed with an eye for the spectacular, Woodrow played the best football of his career under Ismael. He scored 15 times last season.
The Sun (19 December, page 69), meanwhile, believe that Woodrow’s Tykes team-mate Callum Styles is also a target.
Barnsley’s 2020/21 Young Player of the Season was a revelation under Ismael, his barnstorming bursts from left-back a familiar feature.
The Sun claim that Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic are also interested. The Hoops are in the market for a new left-back in the January transfer window. And Styles ticks a lot of boxes for the one-time Australia manager.
Technical and tenacious, Styles suits Postecoglou’s ‘inverted full-back’ system down to the ground. Especially when you consider that he has his roots in central midfield.
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