Barnsley FC boss Darrell Clarke on 'strengthening' in the winter transfer window and the importance of keeping the club's 'quality players'

After all, a shrewd signing or two can make the difference between a top-six finish or otherwise. Maybe even promotion.

As far as senior managers are concerned – and Darrell Clarke falls into that category with a decade-and-a-half of experience in the EFL and National League – keeping hold of what you have got remains every bit as important.

The Reds chief is hopeful that will transpire come the close of play on February 3. Equally, he has been in football long enough to know there are no cast-iron guarantees in that regard.

In fairness, Barnsley have been here before. In the past two seasons - when they have been in the third-tier promotion picture much like the current one - they have retained the family silver, so to speak.

In terms of 2024-25, it’s every bit as vital.

After an opening half of the season when Barnsley took time to find their feet and form and results were patchy - their two main forwards in Davis Keillor-Dunn and Stephen Humphrys only arrived on deadline day at the end of the summer window - there are finally some signs of the right sort of consistency being delivered across the park. Whisper it gently, mind.

Incoming wise, bringing in another forward and a goalkeeper following the loan return of Gaga Slonina look like being the priorities, with the Reds having already signed a new left wing-back option in the shape of Neil Farrugia, who recently joined from League of Ireland side Shamrock Rovers.

Making sure captain Luca Connell and fellow key midfielder Adam Phillips – the latter on course to hit double figures for the third season running – stay put, in particular, also carries a fair bit of significance.

Clarke said: “It is vital that we keep our quality players, obviously.

“We want to push on in the second half of this season and the target (is promotion) – I have never come off the fence and looked for an excuse by saying it’s a building year and what not.

“I’d be very disappointed – and I said this even when we were on a bad run – if we didn’t finish in the top six. That hasn’t changed.

“To do that, we have to keep what we have got and strengthen. No doubt about it, other teams in that top 10 are going to be strengthening.

“We have to make sure we are competitive and competitive to try and keep our best players.

“But it’s a crazy football industry we live in and everyone at every club is available really, aren’t they, to a certain extent. It’s the nature of the beast.

“Nothing surprises me in football, but that's the aim.

“I’d love to say that is the case, but it’s not for me to answer that when offers come in for very good players,” he said.

“We have to look at everything as a football club, which we do. As a head coach, it is not what I want to happen, but we will keep working and chipping away to make sure if it does happen, we will get an able replacement in our squad.”

One midfielder who will not be part of Barnsley going forward is Matty Craig, whose loan return to Tottenham Hotspur was confirmed late on Thursday afternoon.

Spurs have loaned the 21-year-old back out straightaway to the Reds’ League One rivals Mansfield Town.

Doncaster Rovers – where Craig impressed in the second half of 2023-24 in the fourth tier – were also keen on the player.

There could also be further outward movement among the squad players at Oakwell as the club aim to provide themselves with room for manoeuvre to bring in the incoming signings that they want.

Forward Sam Cosgrove and right wing-back Barry Cotter are two players who have struggled for game-time for spells this season and could be allowed to leave if the right deal transpires, while the future of injury-hit midfielder Josh Benson is uncertain.

On the potential for incoming business, Clarke commented: “We are working hard to get the positions we are after – the recruitment team and Mladen (Sormaz – sporting director).

“They are all working hard to do that, we’ve got one over the line and we’ll have to see how the window goes.

“It’s a difficult window, managers up and down the country will be telling you that.

"It’s ever-moving.

"We will always talk about the deals (only) when they are done, but there’s a lot of work going on in the background.”

Clarke says that he is are having to contend with ‘a bit of illness in the camp’ ahead of Saturday's League One game at lowly Northampton Town, but is also quick to stress that his squad remains in ‘a pretty good place’ prior to the scheduled trip south.