Secretive Wilson’s delight at capturing Frimpong

ON a deadline day when major transfers were shoved off centre stage by the chaotic goings-on at Leeds United, Barnsley’s capture of Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong was the best coup by a Yorkshire club.
Emmanuel Frimpong joined Barnsley on deadline dayEmmanuel Frimpong joined Barnsley on deadline day
Emmanuel Frimpong joined Barnsley on deadline day

The 22-year-old Ghana international has signed a contract until the end of the season after the Reds agreed a fee with the Premier League club.

Frimpong, who made six 
appearances for Fulham in the Premier League last season while on loan, goes straight into the squad to face Sheffield Wednesday today at Hillsborough.

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Barnsley manager Danny Wilson said: “When you do move you have to move quickly and move swiftly to stop people coming in the back door behind you and make sure that door is slammed shut.

“We did everything we could and as soon as we got Frimpong up here it was cloak and dagger and ‘bump’ it was done. We didn’t give any opportunities or leave any areas where people could prise open to get in.

“For someone whose last football he played was in the Premier League to come to Barnsley and accept that it is going to be a real dogfight at the bottom of the Championship is great. He is prepared to give us his Premier League experience and youthfulness.

“I think it is a tremendous accolade to the club to be able to entice somebody of his quality.

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“He won’t be fazed by any of the games we will play in the Championship, and for a young lad it is a great trait to have.”

Elsewhere, the most notable deals were two departures from Hull City as Jack Hobbs joined Nottingham Forest and Danny Graham cut his loan stay short to return to parent club Sunderland.

Hobbs has signed a four-and-a-half year deal at the City Ground after the Tigers agreed a fee just short of £1m.

He and Graham, who has joined Middlesbrough on loan, took the number of departures from Hull in the window to nine.

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With Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long having arrived for a combined fee of £14m, manager Steve Bruce was pleased with his work in January.

The Tigers’ manager, who kept hold of Matty Fryatt in the face of interest from Sheffield Wednesday, said: “Players who you could say have been fringe players have gone out, while we have brought in two players (Jelavic and Long) who have come straight into the team and will improve us.

“I know we didn’t score, but we looked more of a threat than we have done.”

Transfer round-up: Page 5.