Sheffield United have taken over as favourites to sign Barnsley winger Reyes Cleary.
Multiple Championship sides have been interested in signing the promising winger over the January window, with Blackburn Rovers leading the charge with multiple seven-figure bids reportedly submitted to the Tykes.
However, Valerien Ismael’s side could be beaten to the 21-year-old, with a move to nearby Sheffield United now firmly on the cards for the former West Bromwich Albion man.
Wilder Speaks On Transfer Move
According to the Guardian, the Bramall Lane side have now taken the lead in the pursuit of Reyes Cleary, who has a reported £5 million price tag in order to pry him away from the League One side.
He has been a pivotal part of the Tykes’ season so far, scoring five goals and providing seven assists in League One, giving critical support to Davis Keillor-Dunn, who is also linked with a move to the Championship.
There have been conflicting reports in recent weeks surrounding Blackburn Rovers’ pursuit of the winger, with the Lancashire Telegraph denying Alan Nixon’s reports that they had submitted a rejected £1.5 million bid.
Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield about the interest in the winger, United boss Chris Wilder revealed that the Blades were indeed monitoring Cleary.
“We know about him, obviously, with him being a local boy, when you see these boys that are playing at the moment, they are the type that we are interested in.
“He’s one we’ve had a look at, internally as well, but we wouldn’t be doing our job if we weren’t. Everyone in the Championship is doing the same.
“Medium and long-term he’s really important to me as well, yet again I’m going to go on about our outstanding work in the academy.
“I’ve said all along, a massive fan of our academy, massive fan from a local point of view, the boys that are playing in the first team.
“But yeah, again, integrating with young players that are at other clubs that might want to make the step up.”
Barnsley have already made some moves this January to shore up their depth on the left wing, signing Middlesbrough’s Charlie Lennon on a permanent transfer.
Is United The Best Destination?
Chris Wilder has confirmed that Reyes Cleary is on Sheffield United’s radar in the final stages of the window, and now it will come to whether they can convince their South Yorkshire rivals to sell a prized asset.
Reyes Cleary is on a stratospheric rise from his stint at Hartlepool United less than a year ago, best personified by his man-of-the-match performance against a strong Liverpool side in the FA Cup Third Round.
Should a side be able to conjure up the money to meet Barnsley’s valuation remains to be seen, but if they are, then a move to Bramall Lane may be the best choice for the wingers’ development.
Wilder pointed out the Blades’ ability to produce amazing talents, with Sydie Peck and Ollie Arblaster some great examples of their youth setup working at its best in recent years.
While Blackburn may be able to give him immediate game time with a move to Ewood Park, gaining experience under the guidance of Chris Wilder, a proven Premier League manager, may be the best path to progress into the top flight.
Should he make the switch to the Steel City, he may struggle for game time behind Gustavo Hamer on the left side, but with the Dutchman frequently linked with moves away, that could see Cleary break into the first team in no time at all.