Barnsley must not be bullied as Leeds, Sunderland and Brighton circle: View | OneFootball

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Barnsley look on course to have another strong campaign in England’s third tier.

The Tykes missed out on promotion to the Championship with the last kick of the game in the play-off final last season.

Plus, Michael Duff’s departure to Swansea City meant there was a lot of disappointment and uncertainty around the club.

However, it doesn’t seem to have affected them, as they have made a very good start under manager Neill Collins.

The club looks on course to be competing for a play-off spot at the very least, and a player that they will hope to be a part of is winger Fabio Jalo.

TEAMtalk, the 17-year-old has attracted attention from Championship sides Leeds United and Sunderland, as well as Brighton, Fulham, and Everton.

Who is Fabio Jalo?

Jalo, who can operate in different attacking positions but whose preferred position is left-wing, came through the academy at Portuguese side Benfica before joining Barnsley in 2019.

The winger has had a lot of eyes on him since moving to Oakwell, as he’s impressed with the club’s academy, so much so that he was given first team minutes last season.

Jalo played 12 times for the Tykes last season in various competitions, but this season he hasn’t featured as much, with the majority of his minutes coming in the under-23s.

Jalo made his first league appearance of the season in the recent 2-2 draw with Fleetwood Town, and then Collins handed the 17-year-old a start in the club’s FA Cup tie against non-league side Horsham FC last Friday.

Barnsley’s first team, the winger has already got a number of teams interested in his services.

What stance should Barnsley take when it comes to Fabio Jalo?

This is not something new for Barnsley to deal with, as they have had players in the past who have been looked at by teams from the Championship and Premier League.

So, Barnsley will not panic, seeing that Jalo is being linked with a host of clubs from teams higher up the football pyramid.

When it comes to Jalo, the Tykes will no doubt have a price in mind, and unless that price is met, they are not willing to do business, and this should be the stance the club takes.

Barnsley need to keep their best players, so they shouldn’t be seen as crumbling when it comes to an offer, or they could find themselves on the end of several bids for other key players.

The good thing about several clubs being interested in the player is that it could entail a bidding war between the clubs, and therefore, the Tykes could end up receiving a larger fee than they originally thought they would.

The winger has shown in the league cup what he can offer, with his one shot per game, one completed dribble, and a 75% pass accuracy, per WhoScored.com.

Jalo will be hoping for more minutes as the season goes on, but even still, it may be best for the player to ignore the transfer interest and continue at Oakwell until the end of the season at the very least.

This is because the attacker is likely going to play more at Barnsley than he will at those clubs mentioned, as they will likely sign him to go straight into their academy teams. So, playing at Barnsley for a side that is bidding for promotion may be more beneficial until the summer.

This is also something Barnsley could look at, as if there is an offer received that is too good to turn down in January, they should look to get the 17-year-old back on loan for the remainder of the campaign.