Barnsley are reportedly ‘desperate’ to keep ahold of captain Liam Kitching, despite strong interest from Championship side Coventry City, according to journalist Doug O’Kane.
The 23-year-old has already been on the receiving end of a strong bid from the Championship side, with there still being just under two weeks left of the summer transfer window.
Who is Liam Kitching?
The defender is a product of the Leeds United youth setup, as well as starring in loan moves at Harrogate Town, before moving to Forest Green. He joined Barnsley in January 2021 and has been a crucial part of their side, including starting all three of the club’s league matches this season, scoring in the 7-0 win against Port Vale.
The previous bid
On August 10th, it was revealed that Barnsley had rejected a £2.5 million bid from the Skyblues for Kitching, in what would have been the third player from the club’s play-off side that has made the move to the Championship club.
Coventry have already landed Barnsley goalkeeper Brad Collins as well as their loan star Bobby Thomas from Burnley. However, it was also reported that the Skyblues were preparing a second bid for the defender, but it is unclear as to whether that bid has been submitted, due to Coventry dealing with the departure of midfielder Gustavo Hamer to Sheffield United.
What’s been said?
Barnsley boss Neill Collins has spoken to the Barnsley Chronicle, where he stated…
“Liam Kitching is exactly the type of player I want in my team, for the way we want to play.
“He ticks every box with the attributes he’s got.
“We’re desperate to keep hold of him.
“It’s good that we have good players and that people want someone like Kitch.
Writer’s View
As a Coventry City fan, I can definitely see us making a second bid for the defender, especially after gaining a further £15 million after the sale of Gustavo Hamer.
Admittedly our initial bid was low, but following Callum Doyle and Jonathan Panzo returning to their parent clubs in the summer, the club are in the market for at least one additional centre-back and Kitching fits our business model to a ‘T’.
However, it is no surprise that Barnsley are trying everything they can to try and keep him at the club. They’ve already lost several key players and if they are trying to return to the Championship, they need to keep their star players.
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