Mansfield Town are plotting a move for veteran forward David McGoldrick as his Barnsley future remains uncertain.

The 38-year-old had a fine season for the Tykes, stepping up in the wake of Davis Keillor-Dunn’s January exit to Wrexham to become the focal point of the League One side’s attack.

Stags Eye Deal Amid Uncertainty

McGoldrick’s future at Oakwell is unclear, however, with his contract expiring at the end of the campaign and while the club have entered into talks, no news has come yet as to whether he will stick around in South Yorkshire.

The lack of progress has alerted rival clubs to eye a free agent deal for the forward, and according to Alan Nixon via his Patreon channel, Mansfield Town are lining up an offer.

It is reported that the Stags are prepared to offer terms which are on a different level to what Barnsley can table to the former Notts County man amid budget cuts at Oakwell.

It was confirmed by the club in March that there would be a reduction in spending going forward, with Nixon previously reporting that their total outlay would be slashed to £3.5 million, which would be one of the lowest in League One.

McGoldrick’s 15 goals across the season put him eighth in the third tier’s Golden Boot race, with his 21 total goal contributions in all competitions marking his second-best returns across his whole career.

Clough Wants Experience

Mansfield Town are undergoing a shakeup in their frontline, and while Will Evans and Rhys Oates will be sticking around next season, their depth seems to be massively reduced.

Victor Adeboyeojo has been released alongside Dom Dwyer, and Oliver Irow is heading back to Tottenham Hotspur, leaving just that pair alongside Lucas Akins and Tyler Roberts after they signed new deals following talks.

Adding McGoldrick to the squad gives Mansfield a new danger man up front, and given he has only gotten better with age, he should be a surefire hit with the Stags as they look to improve upon a 10th placed finish, their best placing since returning to the EFL in 2013.

Constraints Cost Barnsley

With their budget reduced, Barnsley will face a number of reality checks this summer as they realise they can be bullied out of deals for key targets.

David McGoldrick would have been crucial for Daniel Stendel’s first season back at the Tykes, offering a known goal threat for a side which might once again struggle and perhaps flirt with relegation.

With Tom Bradshaw also out of the door, Barnsley will not have a single senior forward at the club and will force them to look for cheap deals to try and replicate the output of both McGoldrick and Keillor-Dunn before him.