Barnsley, who currently sit ninth in League One, are looking to bolster their attacking options with a potential deal for Victor Edvardsen.
The Swedish striker is currently playing for Dutch side, Go Ahead Eagles, with Edvardsen reportedly linked with a one-year loan deal to the Yorkshire side.
Edvardsen has scored 7 goals in 42 appearances for the Eredivisie side, since joining in June 2023. The 28-year-old has also endured stints at Göteborg, Utsikens BK, Djugården, Karlstad BK, Elverum, IK Oddevold, and Degerfors, meaning that this League One move would be his first experience of English football.
The Swede has a clear forward presence, exemplified by his 10.55 expected goals (xG) and 25 shots on target in the 2023/24 season – this ranked Edvardsen in the 80th percentile for strikers within the same division. Having scored 80 career goals already, the former Djurgåden attacker may be pleasantly welcomed to Oakwell this summer.
Dutch media reporting that Swedish striker Victor Edvardsen is to join the reds on loan from Go Ahead Eagles. He made his debut for the Swedish national team last year. pic.twitter.com/RtTxyd5AX7
— The Daily Tyke (@TheDailyTyke2) August 27, 2024
Furthermore, the 28-year-old has featured once for his national side, Sweden, but failed to get on the score sheet.
Barnsley have had a fairly mixed start to life in the third tier this season, with an opening day defeat to newly-promoted Mansfield Town kicking it off. The Reds have since gone on to beat Lincoln City 2-1, as well as settle for a 2-2 stalemate with Northampton. In the EFL Cup, Darrell Clarke’s side have added their name to the third round draw with a solid victory over Sheffield United yesterday.
In terms of summer business this time around, it could be argued that Barnsley’s has been fairly successful. The South Yorkshire outfit have added the permanent signings of Georgie Gent, Conor Hourihane, Jackson Smith, Marc Roberts, and Kelechi Nwakali. On loan, Clarke’s side have snapped up Tottenham Hotspur’s Matthew Craig and Chelsea’s Gabriel Slonina. A deal for Edvardsen could mark an eighth for this summer.
Go Ahead Eagles themselves, finished ninth last season and currently sit 12th in the Eredivisie. But with a contract expiring in the summer of 2026, the Dutch side still have a reasonable amount of bargaining power for their crucial player.
Writer’s View
The prospect of competitive, English football will likely lure the Swede away from Go Ahead Eagles – if a move can materialise. The Reds seem keen on acquiring Edvardsen’s services and would be welcoming an experienced European forward.
Having scored seven goals in the Eredivisie last season, you would hope that finding the back of the net would be no problem for the 28-year-old, if he is supplied by the rest of Clarke’s Barnsley side adequately. It would send a threatening message out to the rest of League One if the South Yorkshire side can get a deal over the line before the window shuts on Friday.
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