Is Sandro Kulenovic on his way to Oakwell? We discuss some of the options available to Barnsley FC and the general deadline day rumour mill.

On Monday evening The Reds announced the departure of much loved striker Kieffer Moore, as he shunned Oakwell to team up with the Latics and 'Crusty the Pie'. The result of this departure was The Reds receiving a hefty £4M, and 'Keef' leaving a hole in The Reds' squad, so with many fans expecting that hole to be filled in, I look at the rumours swirling around Grove Street on the week of the transfer deadline.



First up, and with his name in the post it will come as no surprise to you that I'm going to write about Croatian striker Sandro Kulenovic, currently playing for Legia Warsaw in Poland's top division, the Etralaska. Likened to both Mario Mandzukic in physique and strength  and Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang in how quick he is.

Kulenovic has represented Croatia at every single youth level, right from U14's up to U21's. Last season in the Etralaska, Kulenovic bagged 4 in 21 games. Not outstanding numbers, but almost certainly not to be scoffed at, especially when you consider that he started most games on the bench and scored whilst on the pitch - once in every 178 minutes. Going off of this average, if Kulenovic were to have started all 37 games in the Etralaska he would've probably bagged around 17 goals, which is outstanding for a player who hasn't even turned twenty yet. This season so far, he has scored in his sole appearance in the league for Legia, and a further once in the Europa League, starting this season off with a bang you could almost say. Available for around €3M, The Reds have already bid €2.7M, which with bonuses could hit that magic figure, keep your eyes peeled Reds fans. I think this one could be a go-er.

Next, a player who has been linked with The Reds for well over a month now, Marcus Tavernier. Having seen an opening bid of £1.7M rejected on July 21st, and a second bid of £2.6M rejected in early August, could we see 'Tav' in a Red shirt before Thursday's 5PM deadline, with The Reds set to swoop in with a final bid?

Despite being seen by 'Boro fans as a poster-boy for Jonathan Woodgate's new look side, The Reds quite clearly think a deal can be struck with the Teeside club, as most likely if not negotiations would not have been carried out so far down the line from our first bid. Tavernier looks set to be a top player in the future as well, already capped 19 times by England U19's and England U20's. He is a top talent and I would love to see him at Grove Street.

Merely to round off my points on Tavernier. For Middlesborough, in total he has 6 goals and 4 assists in 35 appearances; most of which came from the bench. We should also consider his age, Tavernier's record is outstanding.

Now probably the player who has been linked heaviest to The Reds, Tom Pearce. With a bid in the region of £850K enough to tempt Leeds into selling. It looks as though The Reds could get a real coup in the form of Pearce.

Like many of the players in this post, he is capped for his country at youth level, having made 2 appearances for the England U21's and 8 for the England U20's. Ironically Pearce's first ever professional career goal was actually against The Reds in a 2-1 victory for Leeds in April 2018. A 3rd incoming from Leeds in one summer may be on the cards here, and I'm all for it, Left-Back is without doubt our weakest area on the field in terms of depth, and i feel Pearce would be a superb option to have.

Lastly, a couple of rumours. Reports from Football Insider, the firm who first brought us news of Mallik Wilks and Aapo Halme's incomings have suggested that a 'Loan to buy' move may be about to occur for young West Brom midfielder Sam Field. Once again he has been capped by England at youth level 22 times across three different age groups, and displays a bit of Championship pedigree having played 12 times for the Baggies last term. However, it remains to be seen whether interest in Field is actually concrete.

Another one from the Oakwell Rumour Mill is that the 'back-up option' if a deal for Sandro Kulenovic fails to materialise is Hannover 96 forward Hendrik Weydandt. Weydandt bagged 6 goals in the Bundesliga last term, averaging a goal every 287 minutes in Germany's top flight. If a deal were to be struck for Weydandt the touted fee is that he would cost around €2.5M. So a hefty amount, but still a fair bit cheaper than Kulenovic. However, much like a deal for Sam Field, it remains to be seen if interest is concrete and not just a falsification.

What do you think? All feedback is appreciated, if you want to feed something back to me or merely want a chat about BFC you can find me on twitter, my handle is @TomOTPE.


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Thomas Wilkinson

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