Exclusive: Don Goodman issues double Barnsley transfer warning - they'd be leaving a "massive hole" | OneFootball

Don Goodman has told FLW his verdict on speculation surrounding Davis Keillor-Dunn and Jon Russell's futures at Barnsley

Don Goodman has warned Barnsley against selling two of their key players this summer in Jon Russell and Davis Keillor-Dunn.

It was exclusively revealed by FLW earlier this week that Russell has emerged as a target for a number of Championship sides, including Derby County and Stoke City.

The midfielder is set to enter the final 12 months of his current contract, leading to uncertainty over his future with the Tykes after a good 2024-25 season in League One.

Meanwhile, it was reported by the Barnsley Chronicle that the Tykes side are braced for potential interest in Keillor-Dunn this summer, following his 18-goal haul in the league in his debut campaign at Oakwell.

Don Goodman raises Barnsley transfer concern involving Keillor-Dunn & Jon Russell

Goodman believes that this upcoming season could be quite important for Barnsley after they slumped to a disappointing 12th in the League One table in the previous campaign.

He warned the club against selling two of their key players, particularly highlighting the importance of their goals to the side.

“You get the feeling that next season is going to be a big one for Barnsley,” Goodman exclusively told Football League World.

“Disappointing last season, drifted away from the promotion race, mid-table obscurity.

“They made a few changes behind the scenes, including appointing Conor Hourihane as the new manager.

“And so, letting your best players go, even if you are getting pretty decent money for them, shouldn’t really be the order of the day.

“That would be a massive hole in the goals output of Barnsley, and goal-scoring wasn’t a problem for them, in-fact it was a strength.

“They would hate to lose those two players.”

Keillor-Dunn and Russell contributed a total of 29 goals for Barnsley in League One last season as the team finished 17 points adrift of the play-off places after a disappointing second half of the campaign, which saw the sacking of Darrell Clarke and Hourihane stepping up to take his place for his first managerial job.

Barnsley risk taking step back with player sales - even if finances dictate it

Hourihane will surely be keen to see Barnsley keep key players like Russell and Keillor-Dunn this summer, but will he have the choice?

If the club wants to get back into promotion contention after a disappointing season, then they will have to keep hold of at least one of these two players, with Luca Connell and Adam Phillips also likely to be of interest.

Replacing them would be a very difficult task, so it might be worth risking losing Russell for nothing in 2026 in a bid to push for a return to the Championship.

Keillor-Dunn has at least got a long-term contract, meaning they have the leverage to seek a big fee if any serious interest does arise in the transfer market, with Middlesbrough and Charlton the only two clubs who recently have been linked.

Barnsley chairman Neerav Parekh hinted late last season that summer sales would be necessary to balance the books though, so perhaps Tykes fans should be preparing for the worst when it comes to at least one of their players this summer.