Barnsley and Reading FC in transfer race for ex-Leeds United player | OneFootball

Barnsley and Reading are among the contenders to sign former Leeds United defender Tom Pearce on a free transfer this month.

Barnsley and Reading are among the parties interested in signing former Leeds United and Wigan Athletic left-back Tom Pearce on a free transfer this January.

That's according to Pete O'Rourke via X on Tuesday, with the report also revealing that Chesterfield and Shrewsbury Town are eyeing moves for the 27-year-old.

Pearce is available on a free transfer after parting company with Major League Soccer outfit Montreal, where he made 25 appearances across all competitions in 2025.

The defender represented Leeds in the Championship as a youngster before moving to Wigan in 2019, eventually helping the Latics win the League One title in 2022.

Barnsley and Reading race to sign Tom Pearce on a free transfer

Free agent Pearce presents himself as an attractive option for League One and League Two clubs this month, as he boasts plenty of third-tier experience, while he has also played in the second tier.

The 27-year-old could help interested party Barnsley in their quest to pull themselves clear of the League One relegation zone, while fellow third-tier outfit Reading are now eyeing a playoff spot.

Meanwhile, acquiring Pearce on a free transfer would mark a real coup in the market for either Chesterfield or Shrewsbury, with the Spireites occupying a playoff spot, whereas the Shropshire club are battling to avoid a second consecutive relegation.

The former England Under-21 international could be set to return to the EFL as a more cultured footballer, having plied his trade in the MLS for the last two seasons.

Chesterfield and Reading hold key advantage in battle to sign Tom Pearce

Pearce's first club in the EFL were then Championship club Leeds, where he made his debut in the 2017/18 season, ahead of a 2019 loan move to former League One outfit Scunthorpe United.

In total, the left-back made just 10 senior appearances for the Whites before permanently moving to Wigan in the summer of 2019.

The Latics remain the club that Pearce has made the most appearances for, as he made 105 outings for the Latics before switching to Montreal in the summer of 2024.

While the former England youth international was in the North West, he was managed by both current Chesterfield boss Paul Cook and Reading's Leam Richardson.

Both Cook and Richardson's connections to Pearce should give their respective clubs the upper hand over Barnsley and Shrewsbury in the race to land the defender's signature.

Cook initially brought the ex-Leeds man to Wigan, enabling the fullback to make seven Championship appearances for the Greater Manchester side.

However, the only trophy Pearce has won in his career arrived when he won the League One title under Richardson's impressive stewardship at the Brick Community Stadium.

The 27-year-old's CV indicates that he is equally capable of helping the Royals clinch a third-tier promotion spot, and guiding the Spireites to a top-seven finish in League Two.

January could prove a fruitful month for Richardson's men, who have enjoyed three wins in their last four encounters, and the addition of Pearce would only bolster their promotion chances.