Barnsley's updated Reyes Cleary transfer demand as September 1st looms | OneFootball

Barnsley are staying firm with their valuation of exciting winger Reyes Cleary

Barnsley aren't willing to lower the valuation of their prized asset, Reyes Cleary, as the transfer window nears its closure, despite offers from Championship clubs.

The 22-year-old looked almost certain to leave Oakwell as soon as last season ended, following a breakout campaign where he registered 20 goal contributions in just 30 League One starts for the Reds.

The 13 assists he made had him top of the third-tier charts, and his dribbling ability was like no other for the level, too. Interest in Cleary has been rife since January, when Blackburn Rovers had their bids rebuffed, and that hasn't gone away this summer.

Indeed, FLW revealed that both Derby County and Bristol City were plotting a move just weeks after the 2025/26 campaign ended, and the Robins were rumoured to have agreed a deal earlier this month.

Barnsley standing firm on Reyes Cleary valuation

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Those rumours of a move to Bristol City were debunked immediately by Barnsley themselves, and as the transfer window enters its final week, the exciting winger is still a Tyke.

And according to Darren Witcoop, the League One side aren't prepared to lower their asking price as the pressure increases towards the end of the window. The report states that Cleary has been the subject of bids up to £3 million from Championship clubs, which have been turned down.

In the dying embers of the January transfer window earlier this year, Barnsley placed an £8 million price tag on the 22-year-old's head. Granted, player values increase in the winter window as there is less time to plan a replacement, but as this summer's edition winds down, the same situation could arise.

Cleary is arguably more important to Barnsley now than he was in January, too. The Reds have lost a lot of their fellow attacking power from last year, namely David McGoldrick, and that has reflected in their opening two league outings this season, where Daniel Stendel's side have failed to score from 35 shots — the third most in the division.

Barnsley's strict stance on Reyes Cleary isn't uncommon for the League One side

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Championship clubs were always going to have to part ways with a significant fee to bring in a player of Cleary's quality and potential, but with the way Barnsley are run, they'll be ensuring they get as much value for money as possible.

Fans of the South Yorkshire-based side can groan about the direction of the club over the past few seasons, but what can't be denied is that they've maximised player profits massively under Neerav Parekh.

In the last three years, Barnsley have recouped over £4 million for Liam Kitching, around £3 million for Mads Andersen and over £2 million for Davis Keillor-Dunn this past January.

Cleary arguably has a higher ceiling than all three of those seven-figure departures, so a demand of around £5 million, or maybe even more, wouldn't be surprising to come out of the higher-ups at Oakwell.

Reyes Cleary will be worth the money for Championship clubs this summer, but they may be priced out by a reluctant Barnsley

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Cleary started and scored in Barnsley's EFL Cup second round win against Crewe Alexandra on Tuesday, which indicates that he's nowhere near leaving South Yorkshire any time soon.

Perhaps Championship clubs are put off by the valuation, but given how rapid the progression of the 22-year-old has been in the last 12 months, he'd be an investment that any second-tier side could make a healthy profit from in the near future.

The only question would be whether second-tier sides have left it too late to sign the winger this summer, given Barnsley's already high level of reluctance to sell will have increased further as the window nears completion.

If he does stay put at Oakwell, Daniel Stendel's side, who have struggled in front of goal so far, will have a much-needed attacking boost. Barnsley are in for a busy final week of the window by their own account, so replacing Cleary on top of that would give them an almighty transfer headache.

So, while there isn't much time left, only time will tell where the 22-year-old will be playing this season. Wherever he ends up, they'll be more than excited to have him in their squad.