Exclusive: Derby County, Oxford, Blackburn & Stoke City in transfer chase for 11-goal Barnsley star | OneFootball

Derby, Oxford, Blackburn and Stoke City are all taking an interest in Barnsley midfielder Jon Russell, FLW understands.

Derby County, Oxford United, Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City are all taking an interest in Barnsley midfielder Jon Russell, Football League World has exclusively been informed.

The 24-year-old enjoyed the best season of his career for the Tykes in 2024/25, bagging 11 goals and two assists from 46 total appearances.

Derby, Oxford, Blackburn and Stoke City are all being led into their first summer transfer window with their current respective managers in charge.

Derby, Oxford, Blackburn and Stoke keen on Barnsley's Jon Russell

Football League World has exclusively been informed that Derby, Oxford, Blackburn and Stoke City are all taking an interest in Barnsley midfielder, Jon Russell.

The 24-year-old is a versatile central midfield player, who can and has operated in both defensive and attacking midfield roles.

A Jamaica international, Russell has been spending the month of June away with his national team, playing the vast majority of games against the British Virgin Islands, Guatemala (scored), Guadeloupe (scored) and Panama respectively.

He's been thriving after being handed a new lease of attacking life for Barnsley, and as a result, he was able to record far and away his best scoring season last term, with his 11 strikes in all competitions beating his previous best return of four in 2023/24.

Russell is a product of Chelsea's academy system, but he was unable to make a senior appearance for the Blues, and has spent time with Accrington Stanley and Huddersfield Town respectively.

Barnsley signed him from the Terriers in January 2023, and he has since become an important and beloved figure at Oakwell.

Russell's contract situation may mean Barnsley have to cash in this summer

However, the Tykes are in a difficult position when it comes to Russell's contract situation.

Indeed, their star midfielder has just 12 months remaining on his current deal at Oakwell, meaning the club may well need to cash in on him this summer whilst they can still bag a significant fee for him.

If not, they will be at major risk of losing their saleable asset for nothing next summer, which could cost the club a hefty sum of money.

Having proven himself to be a top-quality player at League One level, Russell may now wish to test himself in the Championship once again, having had a brief taste of second tier football from his time with Huddersfield.

The Jamaican will feel as though he's a much more refined and improved player since he last stepped foot in the division over two years ago, and at 24, he will surely want to spend the prime years of his career playing at the highest level possible.

Therefore, Derby, Oxford, Blackburn and Stoke City could all offer him an excellent chance of not only making the step up, but he'd likely have a real opportunity to play regular football at each of those clubs.