Charlie Lennon is set to join League One side Barnsley days after Middlesbrough signed Leo Castledine.
The attacking midfielder, who can also play in wider areas, made a seven-figure switch to the Riverside earlier this week after Chelsea opted to recall the 20-year-old from Huddersfield Town in order to facilitate a sale.
However, his arrival is set to shake up the pecking order in the Boro starting eleven, which has perhaps come at the cost of one of their youth talents.
Barnsley Swoop For Teenager
According to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, Middlesbrough have sanctioned a permanent exit for Charlie Lennon, with League One side Barnsley set to sign the 19-year-old.
The Tykes have been looking for new options on the wings after the sale of Neil Farrugia, who was utilised in a more advanced position by Conor Hourihane prior to his move to Scottish Premiership side Dundee United.
Lennon spent the first half of the season on loan in non-league, playing for Darlington 19 times in the National League North and chipping in with two goals for the Quakers. While he was expected to stay a further month in County Durham, it seems that he is now heading south to Yorkshire.
Barnsley have been lagging behind in the League One promotion race, sitting in the bottom half of the table, albeit with multiple games in hand on all the teams around them.
Both clubs have been linked with other business in the January window, with Middlesbrough one of the Championship clubs tipped with a move for Davis Keillor-Dunn.
Hourihane Adds Width
Leo Castledine’s arrival on Teesside has given Kim Hellberg a much-needed option in attacking midfield, which will free up Morgan Whittaker to return to the wing and provide better opportunities for striker Tommy Conway in their hunt for promotion.
However, that has come at the cost of Charlie Lennon, who now heads to Barnsley at a time when they need to provide support to lift the goalscoring burden on Davis Keillor-Dunn.
The signing of the 19-year-old and the return of Fabio Jalo from a lengthy injury layoff at the expense of Neil Farrugia is a great chance for Conor Hourihane’s side to change their fortunes and begin creating clear-cut chances for the former Mansfield Town man.
Lennon is still an inexperienced prospect, so he will likely be eased into EFL football, supporting David McGoldrick and Reyes Cleary on the left for the remainder of the season.
Cleary has also tipped for a January move to Blackburn Rovers, which could suggest that the Oakwell club have reinforced their options and found a long-term replacement should someone match the high price tag Conor Hourihane’s side have put on their 21-year-old star.