Barnsley FC chairman Neerav Parekh on when club expects to hear fate regarding EFL charges plus January transfer window plans

Last summer, the Reds were charged with multiple breaches of EFL regulations including a failure to provide the governing body with correct and/or complete information regarding the shareholdings at the club.

A statement on the EFL website confirmed the sanctions in a statement and full list of charges.

Former co-chairman Paul Conway and Chien Lee - who were voted off the board in May 2022 - were cited in the charges.The pair left the Reds’ board following a boardroom shake-up at Oakwell in the wake of the club’s disastrous 2021-22 campaign. Fellow directors Dickson Lee and Grace Hung also stepped down.

A new-look board headed by Indian entrepreneur Parekh took over alongside existing club directors James Cryne, chief executive officer Khaled El-Ahmad and finance and operations director Robert Zuk alongside new board members Jean Cryne and Julie-Anne Quay.

The current board own just over sixty per cent of the club’s shares, with the remainder held by Pacific Media Group co-founders Lee and Conway.

Asked about a potential time-frame as to when a decision will be reached following the investigations by the governing body, Parekh - speaking at a fans’ forum on Monday evening - said: “It is actually good timing as we have just got a rough time-line around when things will be heard and when a result will be out.

"It is likely to be some time before the end of April or early May.

"This is the timeline we have from the legal team. If that changes, hopefully it will be sooner rather than later, but that’s what we have right now.”

Parekh, who was in attendance alongside director Quay, was also asked about the club’s plans for the January transfer window.

While confirming that money would be made available if the club ‘finds the right players’, he acknowledged that the main focus is likely to be keeping the existing squad together.

Three leading players in Devante Cole, Herbie Kane and Jordan Williams are out of contract at the end of June, as it stands and talks can commence six months before a contract expires with other interested parties.

Some loan players at the club could potentially leave, Parekh also stated.

One situation that Barnsley are likely to be conscious of revolves around keeper Liam Roberts, currently on his way back from injury.

His parent club Middlesbrough are likely to lose current number one Seny Dieng to African Cup of Nations duty at the start of the new year with the ex-QPR player almost certain to be named in the Senegal squad for the Africa Cup of Nations that will be staged in Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau from January 13.

Second-choice keeper Tom Glover is also expected to be named in the Australian squad for the Asia Cup in Qatar, which starts a day before the African competition on January 13.

Boro could then take the option to recall a loan keeper to provide cover.

Roberts joined the Reds on a season-long loan in the summer, while Sol Brynn is at another League One side in Leyton Orient, with Zach Hemming is currently in Scotland with St Mirren.

On the club’s January plans, Parekh said: “Some of the loan players might go back, so we are preparing to make sure we have got back-ups in each of those positions.

"Beyond that, (its) obviously strengthening in some positions where we think we need more bodies and more quality. We have got the list of names already.

"That being said, January is notoriously difficult - even moreso than the summer. So we don’t know what we will end up pulling off there.

"Preparations are in place.

"I think the most important thing, quite frankly, will be keeping the vast majority of our squad, especially the ones who are going to get offers, the ones out of contract and the club think they (other clubs) can come in with cheeky bids to try and get that player to join.

"We are going to be firm around that. I have learnt from the Liam Kitching thing (situation) that there is no guarantee that any player will stay, but the intention is to keep all of our players here, unless it’s out of our hands by a release clause, for example.”

Parekh said that any transfer funds will come out of the board’s own pocket, having reiterated that the club’s hierarchy have already paid out £10million to help with running costs and everything connected with the club since taking over 18 months ago.

He also revealed that the club have received the payments that the Reds have so far received following the big-money sales of defenders Mads Andersen and Liam Kitching, with the amount of money being staggered over a length of time.

He said: "With the other two that we sold (Andersen and Kitching), money comes in, in instalments.

"The only reason we got the deal we did is because we allowed the club to have extended payment terms. Just shy of a million has actually come in right now. The rest will come in over the next years.

"If there’s money available to spend (in January), the board will have to put in more money in January. That being said, we are not ruling it out.

"The money is there in January if we find the right players.”