Barnsley FC sporting director Mladen Sormaz on Reds’ playing budget next season and a pledge regarding club’s star turns
The Reds still have two fixtures to fulfil in the current campaign, which could see the club finish in their lowest EFL position for two decades, but recruitment planning is already under way for next season with Conor Hourihane named as full-time head coach.
As with the majority of lower-league clubs amid fiscally-challenging times, Barnsley will not be throwing millions at their pursuit of success, with chairman Neerav Parekh admitting last month that the prospect of players being sold in the close season to ‘balance the books’ was a possibility.
From next season, under the EFL’s Salary Cost Management Protocol (SCMP) rules, League One and Two clubs will be restricted in the amount of money put into clubs from owners that can be spent on player wages and transfer fees. Clubs will only be able to spend a proportion of any investment over £500,000, with League One owners putting £1m or more into a club only able to spend 60 per cent on player-related expenditure.
The Reds sporting director said: “It will be a competitive budget. What we have got is another cycle where some players will go, some have been here for quite a while and have been good servants. It allows us to freshen it up a bit more.
“We also think at the younger end of our squad we have really good value there already and a good base to build on. We say every season, whatever we are working with, we must aim to get out of this league. That won’t change next year – it’s just how it is with Barnsley in League One.”
Adam Phillips and Luca Connell are likely to attract close-season interest, while Reds fans will be particularly anxious to keep Davis Keillor-Dunn.
Sormaz added: “You never know what number someone will come in with for one of our players.
“But we are going to be sensible again. Neerav and the board have shown a commitment, especially last season, to not let anyone go below value just because traditionally in the past they have gone after 18 months.
“It would have to be the right thing for Barnsley and benefit the club and investment into the squad. Only in those circumstances would anyone go.”
