Valerien Ismael looking to bring Carlton Morris in at Barnsley

A centre-forward and a centre-back are priorities for Ismael, who is aiming to have new faces in before the FA Cup third-round tie against Tranmere Rovers a week on Saturday.

Morris should be relatively easy to acquire with his Norwich City contract due to expire at the end of the season and currently on the eighth loan spell of his career, at Milton Keynes Dons.

The Canaries, who host Barnsley in the Championship tomorrow, are thought to be ready to cut short the loan to allow 25-year-old Morris to move for a nominal fee.

Whilst Ismael has been able to rotate the four inside-forwards competing for places in his 3-4-3 formation – Conor Chaplin, Dominik Frieser, Victor Adeboyejo and Luke Thomas – the player in between them, Cauley Woodrow, has started the last 12 matches.

“Our purpose is to have new signings before the Tranmere game,” said Ismael. “They are on the way.

“At the moment, there are good signs that it could happen. We are looking still at a striker and a centre-back.

“Carlton Morris is a player on a list who we are looking at. He is a very good player with a good profile for me, for the system and for the Championship. But he is one name among many.

“We have to see and, when something is ready to sign and to say, we will do it. But for the moment I am only talking about the prospect and saying we are close to making a deal.

“The feeling is, for the moment, good.”

Morris came through Norwich’s academy, but his only senior appearance for them was in 2015, hampered by a torn anterior cruciate knee ligament whilst on loan at Shrewsbury Town in 2017-18.

Other loans included one at Bootham Crescent and two at the New York Stadium. He made eight goalless appearances for the Minstermen and whilst his first stint with Rotherham was delayed three months by injury in early 2017, he returned to the then-League One club in 2019-20 to continue his recovery from knee surgery, only to be recalled after three goals in 21 appearances.

Ismael also hopes to tie down two key midfielders.

The Reds are keen to extend Matty James’s loan from Leicester City beyond its scheduled expiration at the weekend, and the club are still hopeful captain Alex Mowatt will sign a new contract.

Barnsley’s transfer policy was a big source of frustration for Ismael’s immediate predecessors Gerhard Struber and Daniel Stendel, who were unable to build on successful periods.

“The purpose with the starting XI is to keep them until the end (of the season) because we have a good feeling now,” said Ismael. “We can see how we integrate the new players. That is what I’m looking forward to.”

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