Barnsley FC transfer news: Reds expecting quick impact from long-term signing

The 20-year-old left-back has signed from Blackburn Rovers for an undisclosed fee after catching the Reds' eye on loan at Motherwell last season.

Gent has signed a three-year contract which the club has an option to extend by a further 12 months.

And sporting director Mladen Sormaz revealed how they played a waiting game after identifying Gent as their top target.

“We watched Georgie at Motherwell a lot last season and we feel he is a top prospect for the future who also has the maturity to step straight in an make an impact this year," he said.

"We first entered into discussions with Blackburn in May, but they wanted to take him away for pre-season and assess him, so we started to work on other deals. However, we ultimately made the decision to hold out for Georgie as our top target in that position.

"So far this summer we have tried to bring in exciting young talent alongside some experienced pros and we are confident that this blend is going to give us an identity that the fans can be proud of.”

Gent came through Manchester City's youth system before moving to Ewood Park in 2019. He never played senior football for Rovers but made 31 appearances for Motherwell last season, scoring two goals and contributing five assists.