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BARNSLEY chief executive Dane Murphy is confident that out-of-contract captain Alex Mowatt and sought-after head coach Valerien Ismael will still be at Oakwell next season.
Ismael, who masterminded the Reds’ rise from fourth-bottom in October to fifth in the final Championship table, before play-off defeat to Swansea, has been linked with a move to various clubs including Crystal Palace, where he played, and West Bromwich Albion.
The Frenchman – who has been on a family holiday to Dubai – has two years left on his contract while there have been reports of a release clause which Murphy would not comment on.
Murphy told the Chronicle: “I haven’t seen or heard anything that would dissuade me from believing Valerien is going to be the head coach next season of Barnsley Football Club.
BARNSLEY are attempting to keep their history-making squad together under Valerien Ismael although the head coach admits ‘success makes you sexy.&rsq.
Barnsley vs. Chelsea, FA Cup: Preview, team news, how to watch
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Photo by Nigel French - PA Images via Getty Images
After playing Barnsley just once for 22 years, we get them for a second time already this season after a 6-0 win back in September at the Bridge in the League Cup. The competition this time is the FA Cup and the venue is Oakwell, which will immediately echo that aforementioned singular meeting in the span of over two decades, when Avram Grant’s Chelsea were humbled 1-0 in the 2008 quarterfinals.
It was the one competition that season where Grant’s Chelsea didn’t come second, and it was just about the pinnacle of goalscorer Kayode Odejayi’s career. He retired a couple years ago after a long career in the lower divisions.
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Barnsley are trying to recruit a striker and, possibly, a wing-back but Valerien Ismael admits it is ‘very, very difficult’ to get deals done in the final days of the ‘ugly’ January transfer window.
The deadline for transfers is 11pm on Monday, and the head coach says the Reds face a ‘fight’ until then, while he is confident of keeping hold of stars players such as captain Alex Mowatt.
Barnsley’s wing-backs Callum Brittain and Callum Styles have been two of their best players this season but Styles is naturally a midfielder while the back-ups are Clarke Oduor, also a natural midfielder who has barely featured for Ismael, and Jordan Williams who has been injured.