Tottenham will surely join Leeds and Sunderland in Barnsley transfer race after Tuesday: View | OneFootball

Highlights

Despite a number of bigger clubs surrounding them in Yorkshire, such as Leeds and Sheffield United, Barnsley have managed to produce some very talented graduates that have been sold for seven-figure fees by the club or have gone on to do big things in football.

The most known of course is that of John Stones, who played 28 times for the Tykes before moving on to Everton in 2013 - at that point it wasn't obvious that the defender was going to become a UEFA Champions League winner.

Mason Holgate and James Bree are others in the 21st century who have raked in fees for the club, but could the next be Fabio Jalo?

The 18-year-old Portuguese forward moved to England in 2019, leaving his place in the Benfica youth system behind and subsequently joined Barnsley, and in the 2021-22 season he scored 27 goals at youth level for the Tykes.

Jalo soon made his debut for the first-team in August 2022, but he was somewhat kept under wraps by Michael Duff with just 12 appearances across the senior season, but his emergence into the Portugal under-18's meant that the left-footed attacker was always going to develop quickly.

Aside from a substitute appearance in August in the EFL Cup and then a start in the EFL Trophy, Jalo was seemingly not going to be utilised by Duff's replacement Neill Collins, but the teenager was turned towards against Fleetwood Town in late October, and a few days later he scored a fantastic goal against Horsham in the FA Cup.

Jalo added an assist to his name in another substitute appearance, this time against Reading in League One action this past weekend, and following his aforementioned strike against Horsham, clubs were starting to be linked with the youngster's services.

Leeds, Sunderland, Brighton, Fulham and Everton have all been touted as interested parties, and after what happened at Barnsley's training ground on Tuesday, there could be another club to soon add to the mix.

Despite his first-team exploits, Jalo was moved back into the under-18's as Barnsley's youth side took on Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League Cup, and the Yorkshire outfit ran riot with a 5-0 success in what may have been a surprising result on paper.

However, what wasn't surprising was that Jalo netted four times in the rout, with the Barnsley Chronicle reporting that he netted a perfect hat-trick with a volley and a curling effort with his left and right boot, and then a header to take home the match-ball - he then added a fourth with the final kick of the game by volleying the ball into the ground which bounced over the Spurs goalkeeper.

There are already a string of Premier League and Championship clubs that are watching Jalo for his first-team performances, and if Spurs aren't keen on him after that showing against their own youth side then it will be a big surprise.

Spurs took Will Lankshear from Sheffield United's youth system in 2022 for a fee which could reach £2.5 million, and Jalo could be a player that commands a similar kind of figure.

Now may be time for Barnsley to give Jalo more game-time

Whilst still a raw and unpolished gem of a player, Jalo is now starting to show why Neill Collins should give him more game-time and perhaps starts for the Barnsley first-team.

Granted, considering Jalo's best position is probably on the right wing cutting inside onto his left foot, Collins' wingerless system will not suit the Portuguese maestro - who has been playing out wide for his national side at under-19's level this year - the best.

However, he started as a number 10 against Horsham and he's also played as a striker for much of his youth career, so he gives Collins an option alongside Devante Cole, Max Watters, John McAtee and Sam Cosgrove.

Described as on a long-term contract by the Barnsley Chronicle in August, it's unclear as to how long left Jalo has on his current professional deal, but the thing that will surely convince him to extend his stay at Oakwell would be regular game-time - if he doesn't get that, then the vultures from higher levels will become more tempting.