The Barnsley FC players who are going to leave in 2025 if nothing is done | OneFootball

We looked at which Barnsley players are currently set to leave the club next summer when their contracts expire.

After suffering two consecutive play-off heartbreaks, Barnsley will be hoping that this season will be the year they achieve promotion from League One.

Barnsley were among the automatic promotion contenders at one stage last season, but a decline in form in the second half of the campaign resulted in the sacking of head coach Neill Collins in April, and they were beaten in the play-off semi-finals by Bolton Wanderers under caretaker Martin Devaney.

Despite suffering relegation to League Two with Cheltenham Town last season, Darrell Clarke was named as Collins' permanent replacement in the summer, and he oversaw a big rebuild, with nine new signings arriving at Oakwell during the transfer window.

It has been an inconsistent start to the season for the Tykes, with their home form in particular proving to be a problem, but they are once again among the promotion candidates in League One, and Clarke will likely be keen to strengthen in January.

Clarke will also be facing a number of big contract decisions in the second half of the season, and we looked at which players will be leaving in the summer as things stand when their current deals expire.

Donovan Pines

Defender Donovan Pines joined Barnsley from MLS side DC United in January, and it is fair to say he has become a firm fan favourite at Oakwell over the past 12 months.

A thigh injury limited Pines to just four appearances in the second half of last season, but he still scored two goals in that time, and Tykes supporters will be hoping that he can make more vital contributions at both ends of the pitch this term.

With strong competition for places from the likes of Marc Roberts, Mael de Gevigney and Josh Earl, Pines has not always been a guaranteed starter this season, but the US international has likely done enough to convince the club to trigger their option to extend his contract by a further year.

Conor McCarthy

Defender Conor McCarthy made the move to Oakwell from St Mirren in the summer of 2022, but he suffered a serious knee injury just a few months into his Barnsley career.

McCarthy has struggled to recover from that setback, and he spent the second half of last season on loan at League Two side Swindon Town, making 18 appearances for the Robins.

It seemed as though McCarthy was initially surplus to requirements under Clarke, but he has returned to the fold in recent weeks, and he will be hoping to earn an unlikely contract extension.

Josh Benson

Midfielder Josh Benson joined Barnsley from Burnley in the summer of 2021, and like McCarthy, he is another player whose time at Oakwell has been severely disrupted by injury.

Benson was an important part of the Tykes squad that reached the League One play-off final under Michael Duff in the 2022-23 campaign, but he was restricted to just six appearances last season due to injury, and he has not had much better luck this time around.

There is no doubt that Benson is a talented player at third tier level, but if he is to be given a new deal, he will need to prove his fitness before the end of the season.

Stephen Humphrys

Despite reportedly being the subject of interest from Championship side Blackburn Rovers, striker Stephen Humphrys arrived at Oakwell on a free transfer in August following his departure from Wigan Athletic.

Humphrys was Wigan's top scorer last season with 11 goals, and while he has not been prolific for Barnsley so far, he has come up with a number of crucial goals for Clarke's side this campaign.

The 27-year-old did only sign a one-year contract with the Tykes in the summer, but the club do have the option to extend his deal for a further year, and as things stand, Clarke may be keen to keep him.