Barnsley: Reds finally get their man as Oli McBurnie signs on loan on busy deadline day after skipper leaves

Barnsley finally got their man as they signed Swansea striker Oli McBurnie on loan tonight.
Swansea City striker Oli McBurnieSwansea City striker Oli McBurnie
Swansea City striker Oli McBurnie

McBurnie’s arrival, officially confirmed 26 minutes after the transfer window closed, was the third late incoming on deadline day while skipper Angus MacDonald left for Hull City.

The Reds also secured Austrian Christoph Knasmüllner from Admira Wacker and defender Matt Mills.

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McBurnie seemingly joined the club in the summer before it was deemed the relevant paperwork failed to be submitted on time.

But this time around the Reds got the deal done - despite leaving it late again!

And the Reds starved off competition from Championship rivals Sunderland as well as Scottish side Rangers.

Manager Paul Heckingbottom will be delighted to finally have McBurnie at his disposal and the added firepower a fourth hitman brings to his squad.

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Knasmüllner’s arrival was finally confirmed after days of negotiation.

The player netted 12 times in 18 games for the Austrian outfit, who were unwilling to budge over his €500,000 release clause, this season.

Experienced centre-back Mills was snapped up on a free transfer as captain MacDonald’s replacement.

Mills has played over 300 Championship games and adds some much-needed experience to the Reds’ relegation battle.

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The player left Nottingham Forest by mutual consent earlier in the day to secure a move to Barnsley.

The 31-year-old has only been offered a deal until the end of the current campaign – to try and guide the club away from a return to League One.

Barnsley missed out on Thomas Ephestion from Racing Club Lens after talks broke down over personal terms.

The Reds were also interested in bringing Ashley Fletcher back to the club on loan, but failed to make a deal happen.

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Skipper MacDonald was sold for an undisclosed fee to Championship rivals Hull City.

As reported in yesterday’s Star the Reds were prepared to let the 25-year-old go if a replacement came in.

It is believed the Reds were angling to get a striker to come the other way from the Tigers, but that failed to materialise as the club settled for a fee.

The centre-back penned a two-and-a-half-year deal at the former Premier League outfit.

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MacDonald formed a successful partnership alongside Marc Roberts at the heart of the Reds’ defence last term.

But despite being club captain, MacDonald has struggled to get into the team this season.

His petulant red card early in the campaign at Sheffield United was the beginning of a severe slump in form – which the player never recovered from.

MacDonald’s sale is the third successive transfer window where the Reds have sold their captain – after Conor Hourihane left for Aston Villa and Roberts was snapped up by Birmingham.

Youngsters Dylan Mottley-Henry and Jacob Brown were loaned out to League Two side Chesterfield for the remainder of the season.