The latest from Liam Kitching includes information on Coventry City, Barnsley Chiefs, and contract status.
Over the course of the summer, bids for captain Liam Kitching put Barnsley’s fortitude to the test.
The defender has drawn attention in South Yorkshire for a while now after making an impression in each of his two full seasons with the team following his January 2021 transfer from Forest Green Rovers.
Kitching made 32 appearances as Barnsley, who had only six victories, was demoted from the Championship after their incredible run to the play-offs the season before.
However, he stood out when they previously faced Sheffield Wednesday in the play-off final thanks to an amazing fourth-place finish.
finish in one of the most intensely competitive League One campaigns in recent memory.
Under Michael Duff’s direction, the 23-year-old scored four goals, appeared in all but one of Barnsley’s third-tier games, and formed a commanding partnership with Mads Juel Andersen, a Danish defender who has since left for Luton Town.
Kitching, however, might also be moving before this coming Friday, when the transfer window slams shut.
As things stand, Kitching’s future at Oakwell is undoubtedly speculative. With that in mind, we have compiled all the most recent Kitching news as both he and Barnsley prepare for a vital final few days.
Coventry City maintain transfer interest in Barnsley’s Liam Kitching
As reported by The Yorkshire Post, Coventry are keeping up their interest in Kitching as the window approaches closure.
It is believed that Mark Robins has proved unsuccessful in launching a £2.5m bid that would have risen to £3m with likely add-ons earlier on in the month, but that has not meant that he is no longer pursuing Kitching.
Robins has priors in dealing with Barnsley as he also brought Bradley Collins to the West Midlands earlier on in the window, and the Sky Blues are no strangers to acquiring talent from the lower leagues and developing them carefully, meaning they could prove an attractive option for the Tykes star.
He is said to be monitoring other defensive options but could yet strike a deal for Kitching despite already securing the acquisitions of Luis Binks and ex-Barnsley loanee Bobby Thomas.
Barnsley figures give Liam Kitching updates
Barnsley’s head honchos have also provided updates on the Kitching saga and chairman Neerav Parekh boldly claimed at a recent supporters’ forum event that he would “definitely be staying.”
And manager Neill Collins has also acknowledged the interest that has developed as of late, although he insisted that admiration elsewhere was not the reason why Kitching was absent from their 2-0 victory at Wigan Athletic over the weekend.
He explained to The Yorkshire Post: “He could be fit for next week but we want to get it right.
“When you have a player who has had a bit of interest, people will look at it as if he’s been left out for other reasons.
“Anyone who has watched Liam Kitching in the last couple of weeks will recognise he has not been at his best. He will admit that a big part of that has been down to his (groin) injury.
“It says a lot about him that he was keen to play.
“That’s not always the case with players who have interest and a niggle. We made the right decision (to rest him against Wigan) whether we won lost or drew, we need Kitch fully fit.”
When is Liam Kitching out of contract at Barnsley?
Barnsley have reason to be confident in their ability to keep hold of Kitching as he penned fresh terms last year that will now keep him at the club until 2026.
This means that they have the luxury of playing hardball and have no direct reason to sell as he has plenty of time left on his contract, and if they do indeed decide to sell for any reason then this will allow them to net what you imagine will be a strong figure for his signature.