Barnsley, Davis Keillor-Dunn exit fear raised as Middlesbrough & Charlton Athletic circle - "start a bidding war" | OneFootball

FLW's Barnsley fan pundit has fears that their key man may be sold to balance the books at Oakwell

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Davis Keillor-Dunn was a bright spark in what was a truly forgettable season for Barnsley in the 2024/25 campaign.

The 27-year-old still managed to earn a place in the League One team of the season after scoring 18 and assisting a further five goals, despite the Tykes finishing 12th - their lowest league position since the 2004/05 campaign.

Understandably, Keillor-Dunn will be subject to plenty of transfer talk this ongoing summer, with sides such as Middlesbrough and Charlton Athletic interested in testing the frontman's skills in the Championship for the first time.

However, if they are to do so, an offer similar to Barnsley's record sales of around £5 million will likely be the asking price from Conor Hourihane's side, according to the Barnsley Chronicle.

Barnsley will have hopes of bouncing back to at least a play-off side next season, however, and FLW's Tykes fan pundit, Andy Symcox, believes that Keillor-Dunn can play a huge part in making that happen.

Fan pundit fears that Barnsley may have to sell Davis Keillor-Dunn to "balance the books"

"Davis Keillor-Dunn had a fantastic season, finishing as our top scorer, and his all-around play was a joy to watch, linking up with the likes of Luca Connell and Adam Phillips," Symcox said.

"He was clearly a leading light during the season, and there's no surprise that other teams are showing interest in him."

Keillor-Dunn still has two years left on the contract he signed at Oakwell last August, but Symcox has some worries that owner Neerav Parekh may sanction a sale to "balance the books" after another season where Barnsley operated on a net loss.

"We released 15 players at the end of the season, but speculation continues about [selling] some players, although I understand that no firm bids have come in yet," Symcox added.

"I don't believe we have a burning need to sell him, and although £5 million would help stem the losses that the club are making, we would sorely miss him.

"I would love him to stay because he could spearhead our return to the Championship, not just through his goals but by his all-round play.

"I believe it would seriously dent our promotion hopes if we were to sell him."

Barnsley fan pundit weighs up Keillor-Dunn's options if he were to leave

Given Davis Keillor-Dunn's exceptional season last term, Symcox and almost every other Barnsley fan feel that not a day goes by without a fresh transfer link to their star man.

Middlesbrough and Charlton Athletic are the latest two to be linked with the 27-year-old, and the frontman's history in the north-east and Middlesbrough could see him return to the club where he spent time as a kid.

Regarding whether Middlesbrough or Charlton would be a good fit, he said: "I'm aware that Davis comes from the Sunderland area and spent time in the Middlesbrough academy before making his name in Scotland.

"I assume he'd still have friends and family up there, and that could be a draw for him.

"Although with Charlton being in the centre of London, perhaps he and his family would like to spend some time in the big smoke? Who knows, time could tell."

Barnsley fan pundit hopes for record-breaking sale if Davis Keillor-Dunn is to be sold

Despite the frustration that comes about when an owner says that the club may need to sell players to balance books, Symcox at least has faith that Neerav Parekh will hold out for as much as possible for Keillor-Dunn if he were to be sold.

Given the length of his current contract, Barnsley holds the cards and could really start a bidding war with the many sides who hold an interest in their star attacker.

He concluded: "Our board, unlike the previous one, doesn't let players go on the cheap, and if we're talking £5 million, there could be a bidding war and I would hope that we'd hold out for the best possible bid if we were to sell.

"I hope that we would get in excess of £5 million too, as he is that good and, although I appreciate he hasn't been tried and tested in the Championship yet, he will be that good [in the second tier], too.