Barnsley FC tipped to make 'huge profit' at West Brom's expense - he's an 'exceptional talent' | OneFootball

FLW's Barnsley Fan Pundit believes that Reyes Cleary has an immense amount of potential after joining from West Bromwich Albion in the summer

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Over the summer, Barnsley underwent a fair bit of change with former midfielder Conor Hourihane being appointed as their new manager on a permanent basis, with the intention being to ensure the Tykes sustained a promotion challenge from League One.

The South Yorkshire outfit have been inconsistent throughout the first-half of the season, albeit they have certainly been entertaining to watch with their 18 matches having consisted of 57 goals in the league – with only two teams having scored more than them and only seven conceding more often.

Their impressive attacking potential is down to both the personnel that they have, as well as Hourihane seemingly beginning his managerial career as an attacking coach.

They boast the likes of David McGoldrick, Adam Phillips and Davis Keillor-Dunn, as well as Caylan Vickers and Fabio Jalo in the final third, but someone else has emerged as a key and exciting attacker, Reyes Cleary.

Ex-West Brom man Reyes Cleary is becoming a star at Barnsley - 'huge profit' prediction offered

Having come through the academy at West Bromwich Albion, Reyes Cleary endured a forgettable loan experience at Walsall last season, with the Saddlers sitting at the top-of-the-table by some distance in the first-half of the campaign and Cleary struggling to make an impact.

He dropped a division to play for Hartlepool United in the National League and began to show signs of his impressive quality with six goals in 20 appearances in the fifth-tier.

That prompted Barnsley to make a move for the 21-year-old Birmingham-born forward, who earned two caps for the England U19 side back in 2023.

After a slow-ish start to his time at Oakwell, Cleary has really begun to hit his straps and FLW’s Barnsley Fan Pundit Andy Symcox believes he is a player of immense promise after links to Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund in the past.

Andy says: “Reyes Cleary signed for Barnsley this last summer and I saw him come on as a substitute in his first pre-season game away to Worksop Town. Even then, you could see we had a player of some quality and potential.

“He was quick, physically strong, with quick feet moving the ball away from defenders so they couldn’t take it off him.

“He started the league season off the bench, making appearances in the cup and trophy competitions. However, his performances there earned him a place in the starting eleven in the league and he has grasped that opportunity with both hands, or rather both feet.

“He has scored goals and provided assists in virtually, if not all, games that he has played.

“He’s 21-years-old and still obviously has a lot to learn. Tracking back is an area that he is gradually starting to improve upon.

“However, going forward, he is an outstanding prospect. He’s very quick and can move the ball from foot to foot, take a defender on inside or outside with great physical strength.

“He is a player who gets fans on their feet when he gets the ball as there is a good chance extremely positive will come out of his contribution.

“For that, for me there is no doubt that he has great potential for the future, both at Barnsley and his football career in general.

“He may well be an exceptional talent that the football club could obtain a huge profit on. I hope he remains at Barnsley and achieves his ambitions with the Reds but if that ultimately was not the case then I would wish him well in his career as a player of great quality.”

Having leapt from the National League to League One, following a disappointing stint in League Two at Walsall last season, Reyes Cleary has hit a run of form marking him out as one of the most exciting attackers in the third-tier.

Capable of playing across the front three, Cleary’s versatility is ideal to Hourihane’s very attacking and front foot style of football, which uses forwards in a variety of positions.

Cleary scored in his first Barnsley start in the league, a 2-2 draw with Wycombe Wanderers in October, and that began a run of nine successive starts.

In those nine starts, of which he has completed the full game on six occasions, Cleary has scored four goals and provided six assists with match-defining performances against both Luton Town and Leyton Orient.

He has already become Barnsley’s second top scorer, behind Keillor-Dunn, and has twice as many assists as any player for the Tykes so far this season. He is also third for chances created and second for Barnsley for big chances created, according to FotMob.

Averaging 1.6 dribbles per game, too, Cleary is marking himself out as a real star at Oakwell and Barnsley fans will be excited by what he can continue do – and perhaps how much he could bring in for the club.