Neil Warnock could be set for shock return to management with Barnsley

The Reds are rooted to the bottom of the Championship table and have won just two league games all season, leaving them eight points from safety with 18 matches remaining.

Current boss Poya Asbaghi has yet to win in his 10 games since taking over at Oakwell, with the Tykes due to face Luton Town on Tuesday evening.

Warnock, who is now 73, left Middlesbrough in November but is open for a return to management, having guided Rotherham United to Championship safety under similar circumstances in the 2015-16 season.

Just before his departure from Boro, Warnock set a new record by taking charge of his 1,602nd game as an English manager.

"Somebody asked me the question ‘Would I go back into any club between now and the end of the season?’ and I said ‘Yes’," he told BBC Radio 5 Live last week.

"I was mentioned with two or three clubs last week and I’m going to get mentioned with a few, aren’t I?

"I would go somewhere until the end of the season. It’s a good time now for clubs to take somebody on and then have a good look around at what manager they are going to have.

"Whether it’s a team escaping relegation now or a team pushing for the play-offs or promotion, I’m not really bothered. I just enjoy managing, I enjoy miracles.”

If the reports are to be believed it would represent a change in approach from the Barnsley hierarchy, with the Tykes last six head coaches coming from overseas.