Neill Collins comments on Liam Kitching's situation at Barnsley as Coventry City plot move | OneFootball

Neill Collins has responded to questions over the commitment of Liam Kitching to Barnsley amid speculation over his future.

Kitching has been linked with a move to Coventry City this summer, with two weeks remaining in the transfer window.

The Sky Blues are searching for improvements to Mark Robins’ squad, especially following an agreement to sell Gustavo Hamer to Sheffield United in a £15 million deal.

A £2.5 million offer has already been rejected by the League One side for the 23-year-old.

The defender featured in the Tykes’ 3-1 loss to Peterborough United on Tuesday evening.

A 1-0 lead became a 3-1 defeat in the final 15 minutes of the game, with Kitching’s performance highlighted in the aftermath of the result.

What has Neill Collins said about Liam Kitching’s future?

Collins has defended the performance of Kitching, claiming that the late collapse of the team was not down to any one individual.

The Barnsley boss believes that it was just something that can happen in football, holding no relation to the speculation over the player’s future.

"It’s too simple to say he’s distracted, based on his general performance,” said Collins, via The Yorkshire Evening Post.

"Would we say everybody was distracted for the last 30 minutes?

“I don’t think it’s down to that.

“These things happen.

You have to manage the game from the first minute.

“There's still a long time left.

"But at 1-0, of course like anything, you have to manage the lead.

“We just completely changed from what we are doing and seemed to become passive and disjointed.”

Barnsley suffered their first defeat of the campaign on Tuesday evening, having previously earned four points.

The defeat has left the club sitting 10th in the League One table.

The future of Kitching remains up in the air, with Coventry’s stance currently unclear following the rejection of their initial £2.5 million offer.

The Sky Blues will be aiming to compete for promotion to the Premier League this year having reached the play-off final last season.

Barnsley also reached the play-off final in the previous campaign, but a 1-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday consigned the Yorkshire side to another year in the third tier.

Next up for Collins’ side will be the visit of Oxford United to Oakwell Stadium on 19 August.

Kitching should be available for selection, but the centre back’s future at Barnsley could remain uncertain until the 1 September deadline passes.

How distracting is the speculation over Liam Kitching’s future?

It is hard to compete at your best when a club is actively making offers for you, as there could be concerns over getting hurt and potentially spurning the opportunity as a result.

Coventry are searching for defensive reinforcement and the 23-year-old could be a smart recruit for Robins’ side.

He has performed well at a League One level and should be available for a relatively low sum.

While the £2.5 million offer was rejected, perhaps something closer to £4 million might persuade Barnsley to consider a sale.