Barnsley are very much in the scheme of things for the play-off spots in the Championship as the season moves into a crucial period. Having bagged a neat 1-0 win over Rotherham United on Saturday, the Tykes have maintained their stronghold just a spot below Sheffield Wednesday and are in no mood to give up their Premier League aspirations. They have been in decent form but then again, there should be no room for complacency.
They have drawn a lot of admirers owing to the style of play and no wonder why one of their main men, James Bree, was taken away by Aston Villa in the ongoing transfer window. Although they have been finding the back of the net more often than not, they haven’t been very resilient at the back and have leaked as many as 41 goals in 28 outings which isn’t a very good sign. This may precisely be the reason why Barnsley have been linked with Connor Randall for a loan move to add more quality to their backline.
The Liverpool youngster is one of the notable appreciable assets at the Merseyside at the moment. Randall has slowly but surely progressed through the ranks of Liverpool and featured in Jürgen Klopp’s side which lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday in the FA Cup fourth round tie. He was replaced at the stroke of half time but the promising starlet has much more to offer than being an overlooked commodity.
The 21-year-old plies his trade in the right-back slot, though he can be equally productive as a central defender, central midfielder or even as a centre-forward which is why the football fraternity has a close eye and keen interest in his development.
He is quick, adaptable and is one of the modern day full-backs who loves to surge forward with all guns blazing, with speed and ability to keep the ball with him. Moreover, he is physically pretty strong, has the necessary aggression and is very sound defensively as well.
Owing to the availability of Nathaniel Clyne as the main man and Trent Alexander-Arnold as the backup option for Klopp in the right-back role, it is seemingly unimaginable to see Randall making into the senior side this season. A move to the Oakwell would lend him a great chance to prove his worth and will also allow the Liverpool boss to assess as to whether their prodigal son has the ingredients to make the cut in the future or not.
