Why Middlesbrough, Preston and Blackburn Rovers figures were at Liverpool v Barnsley amid exit talk | OneFootball

Davis Keillor-Dunn is a wanted man amid his strong form for the Tykes

Scouts from three Championship sides reportedly cast an eye on the performance of Barnsley ace, Davis Keillor-Dunn, throughout his side's 4-1 defeat to Premier League champions, Liverpool, at Anfield on Monday night.

According to Football Insider, the trio of clubs monitoring the 28-year-old forward's individual game on Merseyside are Blackburn Rovers, Preston North End and Middlesbrough, with Keillor-Dunn continuing to be the subject of exit talk at Oakwell during an inconsistent first full season in charge of the Tykes for Conor Hourihane.

It was a valiant effort from the former Republic of Ireland international's outfit against Arne Slot's men, with the end scoreline not painting the full picture of how the 90-plus minutes went.

Indeed, the South Yorkshire side had plenty of chances to net more than the solitary effort they eventually did muster through former Liverpool academy figure, Adam Phillips, on the stroke of half-time.

Whilst the overall campaign has been a difficult one for the Tykes, who currently find themselves 17th in League One and just two points above the relegation zone after a run of four league games without victory, Keillor-Dunn has continued to be a beacon of light for Hourihane, having initially excelled in his first season at third tier level last term following his switch from Mansfield Town, who he previously helped achieve promotion out of League Two back in 2023/24.

Football League World exclusively revealed last week that the forward is expected to leave the club between now and the transfer deadline of 7PM on Monday, February 2nd, with Barnsley's ownership group - BFC Investment Limited - which is fronted by Neerav Parekh - choosing to take this particular course of action amid long-standing interest from clubs higher up the EFL than where the Tykes currently find themselves.

Middlesbrough are one of those clubs, with the Teesside outfit reportedly interested in a deal for the versatile attacker in the summer in what proved to be Rob Edwards' solitary transfer window at the Riverside Stadium, with the North East side now under the management of Kim Hellberg as they push for promotion to the Premier League for the first time since 2017.

However, it appears that, once again, they are not the only club hoping to land Keillor-Dunn's signature in what could be a first Championship career stint for the Barnsley talisman.

Middlesbrough facing Blackburn Rovers, Preston North End competition in race for Barnsley talisman Davis Keillor-Dunn

As previously mentioned, Keillor-Dunn has continued to be one of League One's standout performers despite his side's overall struggles in the league.

After being acquired by former Tykes boss, Darrell Clarke, 18 months ago, the North East native went on to score 18 times and provide a further five assists across his first 45 league outings for Barnsley, although his current employers' final league finish of 12th would represent their lowest in over 20 years, as they fell well short of the play-off pack.

Keillor-Dunn then became the subject of interest from Queens Park Rangers, Wrexham and Oxford United in the early stages of the previous transfer window, before Charlton Athletic and Middlesbrough threw their names into the transfer saga.

At the time when links to the South London and Teesside clubs emerged, it was reported by the Barnsley Chronicle that the Tykes would only accept a fee north of £5m, with the forward subsequently going on to score 14 goals across 31 appearances in all competitions so far this season, taking his overall record at Oakwell to 33 goals in 75 outings.

And, following on from FLW's exclusive revelation last week, interest from Middlesbrough has resurfaced as well as hints of a potential move to Ewood Park or Deepdale, with the three clubs sending representatives to watch his performance against Liverpool.

Keillor-Dunn almost opened the scoring with a powerful header that cannoned off the post inside the opening seconds, before leading the line admirably ahead of his 81st-minute substitution as he was replaced by veteran striker, David McGoldrick.

Conor Hourihane will not want to lose Davis Keillor-Dunn amid Barnsley FC departure rumours

Whilst the Tykes put in an admirable performance against Liverpool, the truth is that two of their standout players in Keillor-Dunn and Reyes Cleary could both be on the move, in what would be a damaging blow to the club's immediate and long-term prospects.

Indeed, the latter has also been linked with a switch to Blackburn, who, of course, are managed by ex-Barnsley boss, Valerien Ismael.

Unsurprisingly, Hourihane has responded to such exit talk, as a double loss would only add to fears of a potential shock relegation to League Two, albeit the third tier table is extremely congested on both sides of the coin.