Barnsley could find ideal Adam Phillips replacement in ex-Chelsea midfielder | OneFootball

Barnsley should consider a move for a promising former Chelsea talent, who has a point to prove after a recent decision from a League One club.

It's fair to say that it was a frustrating season on the whole for Barnsley in the 2025/26 campaign, which the Oakwell faithful will be keen to put to the back of their minds at the earliest opportunity.

The Tykes finished 15th in the League One table, and struggled to build any sort of momentum, much to the frustration of the club's supporters.

Daniel Stendel will be well-aware of the size of the task at hand heading into the summer, and if the club don't recruit smartly, then they could be struggling at the wrong end of the table heading into the 2026/27 league campaign.

It doesn't seem as though it's going to get any easier for them early into the summer transfer window, with the Barnsley Chronicle recently reporting that Barnsley midfielder, Adam Phillips is edging closer to a move to fellow League One rivals Bradford City.

He was a rare bright spark for the Tykes last season, scoring 11 goals, and being on hand to provide five assists for his Barnsley team-mates.

It appears as though those strong showings didn't go unnoticed though, with Bradford City making their move for the 28-year-old, who has one year remaining on his current contract with Barnsley.

Phillips has been with the Tykes since 2022, having previously been on the books with Burnley, and he'll leave a sizeable void in the Barnsley team once his departure is confirmed.

Former Chelsea & Reading FC talent should be on Barnsley's radar

Replacing a player of Phillips' quality is always going to be a tough task for Barnsley, but it's hugely important that they do so, as otherwise, they're likely to struggle next season.

One player that the Yorkshire-based side could look at targeting is former Chelsea youngster, Ben Elliott, who is currently a free-agent ahead of the 2026/27 season.

Elliott was most recently with League One side, Reading, but wasn't offered a new deal by the Royals, which means he's searching for a new club this summer.

The 23-year-old has found it tough to deal with injuries in recent seasons, which have hampered his game-time with the Berkshire-based outfit, who missed out on a top-six finish in League One last term.

Ben Elliott would be worth the gamble for Barnsley

Barnsley can't let other clubs potentially edge ahead of them in the race to sign Elliott, who is a player that would add much-needed creative quality to their side going forwards.

As a free-agent, he wouldn't cost them a penny in terms of up-front fees, and so it should be a no-brainer for them to make their move for the former Reading and Chelsea youngster, who has a point to prove.

Despite some injury concerns, he's a player that could be a game-changer for Barnsley, as he's got the creative ability to unlock opposition defence with ease, which we've seen in his time with Reading in League One.

He's got age on his side at 23, and if he can stay injury-free, then Barnsley could see a significant return on investment if they were to look at cashing-in on him later down the line.

Losing a player of Adam Phillips' quality is going to be a major blow for any club, but potentially replacing him with someone like Ben Elliott could turn out to be a shrewd move, as he could link up well with the likes of Luca Connell in the centre of midfield.

Barnsley need players that are hungry to prove themselves, as they've got players on their books that simply aren't hitting the heights originally set for them when they arrived at Oakwell.

Elliott falls into that category of being eager to prove a point, and he can count himself slightly unlucky not to have been offered a new deal by Reading, as he's caught the eye for the right reasons when he's been clear of injuries.

Barnsley shouldn't waste any time in looking to secure a deal for the midfielder, who could prove to be one of the signings of the season in League One if he can adjust to his new surroundings swiftly.