Barnsley are on the brink of making their first addition of the summer after agreeing terms with left-winger Clayton Taylor.
It is set to be a window of change at Oakwell following the return of Daniel Stendel, and has already seen some big-name exits, with Adam Phillips leaving to join Bradford City and rumours continuing to swirl around Reyes Cleary’s future.
Winger Move Close
However, the German manager is about to make his first addition to his new-look squad for next season, with Sky Sports’ Anthony Joseph stating that Australian youth international Clayton Taylor is set to head to South Yorkshire.
It is believed that the Newcastle Jets winger has agreed a three-year deal with the Tykes, with his current deal with the A-League side set to expire at the end of the month.
Moving to the New South Wales side in 2023 from Sydney FC, Taylor has played 79 times for the Jets and has become a real star of their side, which finished top of the table last season, ultimately coming up short in the playoff semi-final.
In 23 appearances, Taylor racked up nine goals and an additional three assists, making him the club’s outright top goalscorer in the previous campaign.
Cleary Replacement Signed
Heading into this summer, it looked inevitable that Barnsley would not be able to hold on to Reyes Cleary amid a barrage of interest from across the Championship.
With the Tykes looking to keep themselves to a stricter budget this campaign, the funds that a sale can generate should be able to cover the salaries of multiple new additions, and help Daniel Stendel splash out when needed to secure top targets.
Now, with Clayton Taylor heading to Oakwell, it would not be a surprise to see some sides, such as Bristol City or Derby County, who have both been tipped with summer interest, to accelerate their pursuit of the 22-year-old.
CEO Jon Flatman has already admitted that a deal is ready to be made for anyone who can offer an acceptable fee to the club for Cleary, meaning that it may only be a matter of time before negotiations start.
Taylor Ready To Make Leap
In keeping with their stringent financial rules, Barnsley have perhaps made a very shrewd signing by securing an out-of-contract Clayton Taylor.
The Socceroos youth prospect was part of a major clearout of the Newcastle Jets squad following their failure to secure a second-ever A-League title, and now has fallen into Barnsley’s laps.
Last season saw him become one of the most effective wingers in Australia when it comes to shooting, with his shots taken, touches within the box and shots put on target ranking highly among his peers.
However, his other stat lines, including when it comes to dribbling and successful passes, leave a lot to be desired and that may be a cause for concern when it comes to replacing Cleary, who particularly excelled at taking on players.
Nevertheless, Daniel Stendel will feel he can improve Taylor to become a more than adequate winger in his likely 4-4-2 system, and as a free agent deal, this could be one of the signings of the League One summer.
