The 6 Barnsley FC players set to become free agents next year | OneFootball

The Tykes have had an inconsistent start to the 2024/25 campaign, and will now have one eye on those who could leave at the end of their deals.

Barnsley FC have struggled to hit the heights that some had expected them to have done in League One so far this season, and will be looking for improvements as the campaign progresses.

The Tykes have won just four of their opening six fixtures in the third tier, and are struggling for consistency since Darrell Clarke took over in the summer.

While performances on the pitch will always be the priority, off the field there are a few issues that need fixing, with Barnsley currently set to lose six of their squad at the end of 2024/25, with their contracts due to expire, as per Transfermarkt data.

The Yorkshire-based club had significant losses in June as the likes of Devante Cole, Herbie Kane and Nicky Cadden departed Oakwell following the conclusion of their deals. With that in mind, Football League World have taken a look at the players who are in a similar position this season.

Adam Hayton

20-year-old Adam Hayton has spent the last year-and-a-half at Barnsley after joining from Tottenham Hotspur in January 2023.

His involvement in the first-team has been negligible so far, and he instead features for the club's development sides. His deal is set to expire at the end of the season, and if this lack of action continues, he may not return to Oakwell after the summer.

Donovan Pines

Donovan Pines has featured on a semi-regular basis for the Tykes in 2024/25 after struggling with injuries throughout his first few months in England.

The American defender was forced to miss the last few weeks of the season after joining the club back in January, with a thigh injury ending his campaign early. However, this year has so far been a different story, starting in five matches, while coming off the bench in two others.

It has been difficult to work out how Pines has performed due to the limited time he has had on the pitch, but Barnsley do have a one-year option on his contract that may be enacted if he becomes a major part of the team going forward.

Conor McCarthy

Similar to Pines, Conor McCarthy's time at Oakwell has been plagued by injuries, suffering from an ACL issue two seasons ago.

The Republic of Ireland-born centre-back is yet to make an appearance in the league since returning from a loan spell at Swindon Town in League Two last year, and looks somewhat of an after-though currently.

If he can regain his fitness and get back to his best he may have a shout at extending his stay, but currently it looks as though the writing is on the wall for the 26-year-old.

Josh Benson

Josh Benson is yet another Tykes player to have struggled with injury in recent years, and is slowly starting to make a return to the first-team picture.

He has come off the bench in each of the last six League One matches, however yet another issue has occurred for the 24-year-old, who is now a doubt for Barnsley's clash with Blackpool on 19 October.

With his troublesome fitness record, it seems unlikely that Clarke's team will offer Benson a new deal.

Sam Cosgrove

Sam Cosgrove's goal-record for Barnsley is not the best, and he has found the back of the net just seven times in nearly 50 matches since joining at the start of 2023/24.

He has scored only one goal in his first nine appearances in League One this season, a statistic that will worry the Oakwell faithful if it does not rectify itself.

The club do have an option to extend his contract by another year, and it is hard to judge if that will be enacted or not.

Stephen Humprhys

The final player on this list, Stephen Humphrys, only signed for Barnsley in the summer, but he has already had a decent impact in the limited minutes that he has had on the pitch so far.

The 27-year-old has an option in his contract to add another year, which would not come as a surprise if he continues at his current rate. Solid at this level, Humphrys has plenty of experience in League One with five clubs before leaving Wigan Athletic.

It seems unlikely at this time that the partnership between the striker and Barnsley will be just a one-year situation, and the Tykes will be hoping that he triggers his extension at the end of the season.