Barnsley to be 'blown out of the water' by Mansfield Town for David McGoldrick | OneFootball

Mansfield Town are keen on a deal for a key Barnsley player this summer

Mansfield Town improved to 10th in the League One table this year under Nigel Clough.

Their first year back in the third tier resulted in a 17th place finish, as they avoided relegation by eight points after gaining promotion in 2024.

Clough’s side climbed into the top half of the standings in 2026, and were only 10 points adrift of the play-off places.

The club will now view the summer transfer window as an opportunity to close that gap to the top teams even further, as they set their sights on a play-off push.

This year was Mansfield’s highest finish in the football pyramid since 1987, giving supporters plenty of reason to be optimistic about the future.

Clough will now be hoping to receive the backing of the owners in the coming months as they look to maintain this positive trajectory.

Mansfield eye Barnsley transfer swoop

It has been reported by Alan Nixon that Mansfield are keen on securing a deal for David McGoldrick amid uncertainty over his future at Barnsley.

The forward spent last season with the Tykes, but is now out of contract and is in talks with the club over a new deal.

The Stags are hoping they can convince the 38-year-old to make the switch from their League One rivals with a better offer.

Barnsley want to keep McGoldrick for another season after his impressive form under Conor Hourihane.

The former Ireland international contributed 15 goals and three assists from 37 appearances after making the step back up from League Two.

McGoldrick signed for the Yorkshire outfit last summer, making the move from Notts County, and he proved a crucial part of the side as they finished 15th in the table.

Daniel Stendel has been appointed as the new head coach at Oakwell Stadium following Hourihane’s departure at the end of the campaign.

The German previously managed Barnsley to promotion from League One in 2019, and he will be looking to achieve that feat again with the help of McGoldrick.

However, it remains unclear whether he’d be willing to stay with the Tykes, or accept an offer from Mansfield.

It’s believed that Mansfield have the potential to blow their third division rivals 'out of the water', as they target a busy summer that can put them in contention for promotion in 2027.

The Stags finished six points clear of Barnsley last season.

David McGoldrick move could be a great deal for Mansfield

Mansfield’s top scorer last season was Lucas Akins, who found the back of the net on nine occasions.

Having someone like McGoldrick in the team would bolster their attacking options and give Clough a player with a history of consistently scoring over a full league campaign.

While he is now 38, his form in the last couple of seasons have shown that he’s not slowing down too much, and he can still contribute plenty, and he may even be capable of being a key part of a promotion-chasing side.

This would be a great bit of business for the Stags if they can get it over the line, particularly as it would also weaken Barnsley going into next season.