Barnsley have had a busy transfer deadline day with the Oakwell door moving on four occasions.
As expected Cole Kpekawa has signed on a three-year deal from Championship rivals Queens Park Rangers. The 20-year-old 6ft3inch left back will add to some much needed competition for Aidy White but can also fill in at centre back- crucial after the £5.5m departure of Alfie Mawson to Swansea.
Another prominent arrival today has been that of midfielder Sam Morsy on a season long loan from Wigan Athletic.
The 24 year old Egypt international started his career with Port Vale making 78 appearances in four years between 2009 and 2013, winning the club’s Young Player of the Year award in 2011 before going on to help the Valiants win promotion from League Two in 2012-2013.
Morsy however rejected the offer of a new contract at Vale Park that summer and instead opted to join Chesterfield, thus staying in League Two. His stay in the fourth tier lasted only one more year though as he was named the club’s Player of the Year as he guided them to a Football League Trophy final defeat to Peterborough and the League Two title.
He was named captain for the start of the 2014-2015 campaign and almost guided the Spireites to a second successive promotion as they were defeated in the League One play-offs by eventual winners Preston and that summer the club were forced to turn down a £400,000 bid by another side promoted, MK Dons.
However Morsy’s positive start to last season which including scoring in the Spireites opening day 3-1 victory over Barnsley meant he soon outgrew the Proact Stadium and in January of this year he was snapped up by Wigan for an undisclosed fee. At the time of the move Wigan were sitting handily in fourth place, but five points off the top. The Latics went on to lose in only one of Morsy’s 16 appearances as they won the title although he was an unused substitute for their 4-1 defeat to Barnsley on the final day that sent The Reds into the play-offs.
The Championship has proved a much tougher nut for Morsy to crack and he has yet to appear this season but will now get the chance until the end of the campaign at Oakwell.
One surprise exit today has been that of George Moncur to League One side Peterborough United until the 7th January.
The 23 year old arrived at Oakwell amidst great fanfare in June for £500,000 after being Colchester’s best player in 2015-2016- scoring 14 goals in their futile fight against relegation – including in both games against Barnsley but has struggled to break into Paul Heckingbottom’s Championship team, appearing in just the first two games against Ipswich and Northampton. Peterborough were one of the Reds rivals to sign Moncur in the summer but he will now run out at London Road for the next five months.
Striker Shaun Tuton has also gone out on loan today. The 24 year old arrived at Oakwell in February from Halifax but has made only seven substitute appearances- none this season and will spend the rest of the campaign at League Two newcomers Grimsby Town.