Barnsley transfer latest: Conor Hourihane provides window clarification as Reds seek to 'shuffle' pack
BARNSLEY head coach Conor Hourihane has stressed that bringing in further signings in the winter window will not be dependent on players leaving the club.
The Reds have already snapped up free agent defender Eoghan O'Connell, who could be involved in Monday's glamour FA Cup tie at Liverpool.
Corey O'Keeffe has returned early from a loan spell at Stockport County, while Jon Russell and Jackson Smith have linked up with Mansfield Town and Grimsby Town for the rest of the season.
Centre-half Kacper Lopata is also back at Oakwell after a stint at Bristol Rovers, but is expected to be loaned out again.
Hourihane, who wants to recruit a few more new signings before the close of business, said: “I don't think it's a case of we have to get players out to bring players in. But I do think that the squad needs a little bit of a shuffle.
“There were a couple of people not getting minutes that they would like and they made that be known.
“And sometimes when you have people out with the team for a long period of time, you need to kind of move them on to bring new energy in and around the building as well.
“The people that have left are the right people to leave currently.
“We've brought in a couple of bodies (in O'Connell and O'Keeffe returning).
“It's brought a real energy to the training sessions as well over the last couple of days. And hopefully that will be the case with another couple over the next couple of weeks as well.”
Hourihane's personal touch helped convince fellow Corkonian O'Connell to head to Oakwell for the rest of 2025-26 despite interest elsewhere.
The Reds boss, who will be without loanee Caylan Vickers, who has returned to Brighton, added: “I think there were a couple of clubs after him. It's my job then to convince them and bring them our way.
“I've had to do that on a couple of occasions, with Reyes (Cleary) in the summer and Patrick Kelly.
“And it's my job to show them the platform that they will have and present it and convince them that this is the right place for their development. So I have to do that with Eoghan as well. I am really, really happy with the signing.
“He's also a really good guy who knows the level and has played a lot of games. He knows how to win games, which is really, really important. We could have gone younger in that position, but I was really keen to get some experience.”