Reyes Cleary reacts to Derby County transfer as Eustace eyes Barnsley star | OneFootball

The Tykes forward is being eyed up by the Rams hierarchy, and he's reacted to their latest deal

Derby County will be aiming to compete for promotion to the Premier League next season after narrowly missing out on a play-off place.

The Rams finished eighth, and were just four points adrift of sixth place Hull City, who went on to win in the play-offs.

If the East Midlands outfit can replicate a top eight finish in 2027, then they will earn a shot at the top flight due to the play-offs expanding to include two more teams from the next campaign.

The summer could be crucial to maintaining competitiveness under John Eustace, who will want to strengthen his squad in the transfer market.

One player that has been linked with a move to Pride Park is Reyes Cleary, with it being exclusively revealed by FLW earlier in June that the Championship side want the Barnsley star, along with Bristol City.

Reyes Cleary reacts to big money Derby County transfer

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And amid the speculation that the Rams are eyeing him up, Reyes Cleary has reacted to Bobby Clark’s Instagram post acknowledging confirmation of his permanent move to Derby.

The midfielder spent last season on loan with the Rams, and has now completed a switch to Pride Park from RB Salzburg on a permanent basis.

The 21-year-old has signed for the Championship side in a £6 million deal, and has issued a message to fans claiming he can’t wait to get back playing at Pride Park.

And interestingly, Cleary has replied with a heart and fingers crossed emojis, which may spark further speculation over his future and a potential switch to Pride Park this summer.

It is likely though that Cleary and Clark have become friends via the England youth setup, albeit Clark is an age group younger than the Barnsley star.

22-year-old Cleary earned a lot of plaudits for his performances in League One last season, as he contributed seven goals and 13 assists for the Tykes.

How Derby County fans feel about signing Reyes Cleary

Derby fans have expressed strong views that they would like to see Cleary join the club this summer following his strong performances.

However, there have been some questions over the potential cost of the deal, and the £6 million spent on Clark will only exacerbate those concerns.

But there is an overall enthusiasm for the Rams to continue their spending, having invested in the first team squad with big money moves last year as well.

It remains to be seen what kind of fee it will take to convince Barnsley to sell, but Cleary’s latest comment on Instagram suggests his preference could be a move to Derby.

Reyes Cleary signing next would be a great start for Derby County’s summer

Concluding a deal for Clark at this stage is a positive step forward for Derby ahead of pre-season.

And now they could turn their attention to Cleary, who has the potential to be an exciting addition to the squad given how he performed in League One last season.

The playmaker has shown he can create chances and find the back of the net himself, making him a real danger in the final third, and he may now be ready to make that step up to the Championship.