Millwall, Sheffield Wednesday transfer talk has to excite Barnsley given Tottenham news: View | OneFootball

Barnsley have just signed Matthew Craig on loan from Tottenham and the fact he was linked with Millwall and Sheffield Wednesday must excite the club.

Highlights

Barnsley have just completed the loan signing of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Matthew Craig.

The 21-year-old has been with the Premier League side since 2019 and played in the EFL last season, when he joined Doncaster Rovers in January for the second half of the campaign.

Craig has now joined the Tykes on a season-long loan deal, which may come as a surprise given the player was being watched by Championship duo Millwall and Sheffield Wednesday in April.

It was reported by Football Insider in April that both Millwall and Sheffield Wednesday were keeping an eye on Craig ahead of the summer transfer window.

The report stated that the midfielder had impressed during his time with Doncaster, and the Championship pair were planning to make loan moves for the player.

Craig is said to be highly rated at Tottenham, captaining the club’s under-21 side before joining Doncaster on loan in January.

However, both Millwall and Wednesday didn’t make a move for Craig, and instead, it was Barnsley that won the midfielder’s signature.

But while either club didn’t make a concrete move for Craig, Barnsley can be excited by that transfer talk, as it shows what type of player they have joining their club.

Millwall, Sheffield Wednesday, Matthew Craig talk can excite Barnsley

It is very common for teams up and down the EFL to turn to teams like Tottenham and look to take their best young prospects on loan for the season.

Craig is someone who has shown signs of real promise while playing for Spurs’ academy, and the six-month loan spell at Doncaster last season was a chance to showcase his ability in first-team football.

The midfielder did exactly that. He started all 18 games he played for the League Two side, helping the club reach the play-offs. Craig operated in central midfield for Doncaster, starting in a more defensive role before playing a bit further forward as the season progressed.

In those appearances, Craig scored one goal and recorded a single assist, but his overall football made sure he had a good impact for Doncaster.

The midfielder created two big chances for his teammates, collected 0.5 key passes per 90, and had an accurate pass success rate of 78%.

Craig also did his part in defence. He averaged 2.8 tackles per game, recovered the ball an impressive 5.5 times, and was only dribbled past 0.7 times, as per Sofascore.com.

Craig was very impressive in his short time with Doncaster, and the move to Barnsley now allows the player to showcase his ability in a league above for a side that is expected to compete for promotion to the Championship.

Barnsley will be excited about this addition. They will have seen what Craig did in his short time at Doncaster, but they will also be excited about the fact he was linked with a move to the Championship a couple of months ago.

Millwall and Sheffield Wednesday were obviously both left impressed by Craig’s all-round performances for Spurs and Doncaster last season, and they were keeping an eye on his situation.

Now, neither club pursued a move for the midfielder, but that could be for any reason - things could easily change in the course of two or three months. But for Barnsley to sign Craig after he was linked with two Championship teams can only be exciting for them. They are obviously adding a player to their ranks who has impressed those at a higher level.

Craig has the potential to be a very underrated signing for the Tykes this summer, and if he can make a similar impact to what he did at Doncaster, then Barnsley are in for a treat.