Barnsley will, however, continue the search for a star striker and transfer-listed Wolves centre-forward Freddy Eastwood could come into reckoning.

Barnsley assistant manager assistant manager Ryan Kidd said today: "It's well known that he's a player Coventry have been after for four or five months.

"Some players are hard to get. He's not a target we've seriously been after but he's one we may consider.

"We're not panicking. Kevin Phillips was a target we had right from the end of last season but we're happy with what we've got in our squad already."

Eastwood is on the transfer list at Wolves but his exit has been delayed by a financial wrangle.

He has been withdrawn from Wolves' pre-season programme and Coventry manager Chris Coleman has declared that a £1.2 million deal is not dead.

Barnsley came close to derailing Phillips' transfer from West Brom to Birmingham,

Oakwell chief Simon Davey revealed. "He was very interested in what we had to say and we put an attractive two-year package to Kevin, which meant his decision to join Birmingham was not about money.

"Kevin's agent phoned me to say he has decided to join Birmingham. It means Kevin doesn't have to move his family from the Midlands and he believes that City, with their parachute payments from the Premier League, have a better chance of winning promotion next season."

Kayode Odejayi and Jamal Campbell-Ryce were due back at Oakwell today, a week after the rest of the squad returned. They were given extended leave because they have both been on international duty.

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