Barnsley eyeing Birmingham City transfer agreement

Barnsley are still on the lookout for more recruits to strengthen their side ahead of the new campaign and the latest player to be linked with a switch is Keke Simmonds of Birmingham, according to The Star.

The Tykes were dumped out of the Championship last season, having gone through two managers and been unable to really break away from the relegation spots.

That’s despite having been in the second tier play-offs just a campaign earlier under Valerien Ismael and been so close to a place in the Premier League. Now, the side are preparing for life in League One and will be hoping that they aren’t resigned to staying in this division for too long.

Having only recently added James Norwood to their attack, they now seemingly have their eyes on another forward option in Keke Simmonds. The 21-year-old has struggled to get much competitive action in his career so far, with his one showing coming for Birmingham in the 2020/21 campaign for just 12 minutes.

However, having come through the ranks at Man City and then featured often for the Blues academy side too, he could now be given more of a chance to shine for Barnsley in League One next season.

Even if the Tykes end up not sealing a deal for the youngster though, he might still end up in the third tier. That’s because Barnsley aren’t the only side to register an interest in Simmonds, with Sheffield Wednesday also eyeing a potential move.

They too are on the hunt for a forward option this summer – and so it could be a battle between the two divisional rivals for his signature.

The Verdict

Keke Simmonds is somewhat of an unknown quantity but the signing of every youngster always presents some risks and a bit of a gamble to the buying club.

Every player needs a first chance