Barnsley urged to turn down Luca Connell transfer offers amid "silly" Wycombe Wanderers saga | OneFootball

FLW's Barnsley fan pundit wants his club to clarify the messy transfer situation between his club and Wycombe Wanderers regarding Luca Connell.

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk‘ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

It's been a summer of confusion for Barnsley and Wycombe Wanderers, with conflicting reports over the transfer status of the sought-after defensive midfielder Luca Connell.

It has been reported that there is something approaching a dispute between the Tykes and the Chairboys over Connell, who has made more than 100 appearances for Barnsley since signing for the club from Celtic in 2022.

From the Wycombe end, it was claimed that the Tykes had accepted a £1.3 million bid from Wycombe for the player, but this has been rubbished by Andy Giddings of BBC Sheffield, meaning that this stituation doesn't seem to have been satisfactorily resolved.

Barnsley urged to clarify Luca Connell transfer position amid Wycombe Wanderers saga

Football League World have spoken to our Barnsley fan pundit Andy Symcox to get his view of the situation, and he is less than impressed at what appears to be going on behind the scenes.

"The saga regarding Luca Connell has become really silly," Andy told FLW.

"Barnsley have made clear that they have not accepted a bid at all for Luca Connell, so it makes a whole nonsense about summer transfer activity.

"I've seen lots of Barnsley fans piling on saying that we should have got more, while others will tell you he's not good enough since his illness.

"Luca is a quality player, but as a fanbase we can hardly say he's a poor player but that we should accept more than £1.3 million for him. £1.3 million is a lot of money for a defensive midfield player.

"For me, Luca should not be sold. He's had ups and downs with his illness, but he seems to be in a position to get back to his best form of three years ago.

"I think he's pivotal to Barnsley and keeps us ticking. He can get a foot in, has a range of passing, and brings others into play. I would be very, very sorry to see him go if that is the case.

"He looks happy at Oakwell, and I just wish the speculation and hard facts would emerge. I would like our club to say "we are not going to sell him", but who knows? It's the madness of the summer transfer window."

Luca Connell's Barnsley form has dipped in last two seasons - the hierarchy could see him as a saleable asset

The "illness" that Andy refers to kept Connell out of the Barnsley team kept the player out of the team for more than five months at the start of the 2023-24 season.

It was, however, reported by the Barnsley Chronicle that he had made a "miraculous recovery" from what was described as a "mystery illness", with striker Sam Cosgrove describing him at that time as a "great character".

Connell in 2022-23, when Barnsley reached the play-off final at Wembley in defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, was a star midfielder in League One, and many would have expected him to head to the Championship, but it's not quite happened for the ex-Bolton Wanderers man just yet.

While opinion is split among the fanbase over the attributes of Connell, there's no doubt that at least one club sees him as a £1 million-plus player, and the Barnsley hierarchy could see the Republic of Ireland youth international as a saleable commodity.

And if a Connell exit could help Conor Hourihane keep star man Davis Keillor-Dunn, then it may be something Neerav Parekh and co have to consider for the right price, of which around the £1.3 million mark may be edging closer towards.