Constantine needs to know that Barnsley are capable of avoiding an immediate return to League One

<div class="ds-headline" id="ds-headline">has this been posted? </div><div class="ds-headline" id="ds-headline"></div><div class="ds-headline" id="ds-headline">Constantine stalls as Reds wait on striker</div> <div class="ds-firstpara" id="ds-firstpara">BARNSLEY'S bid to sign Port Vale's Leon Constantine was hanging in the balance last night after the striker stalled on a move to Oakwell.</div>

Barnsley had agreed a six-figure deal with the League One club, with Marc Richards also moving in the opposite direction, but Constantine wanted more time to weigh up his options.
The capture of Constantine, one of the top scorers outside the Premiership with 18 goals so far this season, would be a major boost for Barnsley who are four points adrift of safety in the Championship relegation zone.
However, manager Simon Davey may yet have to look elsewhere if the 28-year-old decides that the deal on the table is not right at this stage of his career.
Apart from wages, London-born Constantine needs to know that Barnsley are capable of avoiding an immediate return to League One. Other clubs are in the frame and may be able to offer a better guarantee of Championship football next season.
Assistant-manager Ryan Kidd said: &quot;Leon's been up and had a look around at the club. I think he has met the chairman and he's having a look to see whether obviously he can agree personal terms.
&quot;At the moment, we have got a shortage of goals and we have gone for a guy who is in form.
&quot;Hopefully, with his size and his frame, he could give us a different option to what we have got at the moment,&quot; he said.
&quot;We are working very hard, along with the chairman, to bring in new people but it's not always easy when you are after quality players,&quot; he stressed.
&quot;Everybody is after them at the same time as well so we are in a bit of a race for one or two players but hopefully we will get one or two more in before the transfer window closes.&quot;
Tonight, Barnsley entertain Southend United in an FA Cup third-round replay &ndash; with the possibility of a lucrative fourth-round trip to Tottenham Hotspur on offer to the winners.
A last-minute equaliser from Michael Coulson secured Barnsley a replay 10 days ago and assistant Kidd has stressed the importance of staying in the Cup for as long as possible.
&quot;The FA Cup is important to this football club, there is money at stake,&quot; he said.
&quot;We won't be taking it lightly, we want to put on a good performance and go through to the next round.
&quot;It's also important to get a win for confidence which will hopefully spur us on in the league as well.
&quot;Going to Spurs would be the plum tie,&quot; he added. &quot;I imagine the board would like to go there and get some revenue and the players would obviously love to go to White Hart Lane and test themselves against Premiership players.
&quot;But we have to get past this hurdle first.&quot;
There is no guarantee that Tottenham will reach the next round &ndash; but they are regarded as firm favourites to win tomorrow night's third-round replay at home to Cardiff City.
Barnsley's task tonight will not be helped by the absence of four recent signings &ndash; Adam Eckersley, Dwayne Mattis, Kyel Reid and Grant McCann &ndash; who are all ineligible.
Mattis and McCann are cup-tied, on-loan Reid has been refused permission to play by West Ham United, and Eckersley was registered after the deadline to play in the third round.
Youngsters Nathan Jarman, Dale Tonge and Coulson could all start tonight while winger Martin Devaney returns after serving a one-match ban.
The future of Brian Howard is still unresolved with Kidd confirming that the former Swindon Town midfield player has yet to accept the offer of a new contract.
&quot;He has not signed it yet,&quot; said Kidd. &quot;He is in negotiations with the club. Hopefully that will get sorted out in the next couple of weeks. He is a quality player and one we want to keep at this football club.&quot;
Striker Tommy Wright is also heading for the exit door, after returning from a loan spell at Walsall, and is set to sign for neighbours Rotherham United.</p>

http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=4877&amp;ArticleID=1973905 </p>

 

Howard on Radio Sheff said he WANTED to stay

Let's hope he does.

 

He wants a decent wage and an assurance of .....

Championship football next season .... dunt want much does he?

This deal is just not going to happen

 

RE: He wants a decent wage and an assurance of .....

Move in the summer for a nice fat signing on fee. Back to't drawing board.

 

Dunt blame him ......... I wouldn't sign for us at the moment...

... he'll have to be a world beater to score for us cos we are creating Jack **** since Davey took over, so as long as he's prepared to win the ball from the big punt up field (40 yards away from him), get it down and beat half the opposition then put the ball in the net, he'll be ideal!!

 

he's a cheeky bugger

we're trying to sign him in the hope his goals will keep us up

what's the matter with him? doesn't he want a challenge? does he want a team where it doesn't matter if he scores or not? lazy sod. get Richards back in line-up.

 

We've asked him to play right back, haven't we?

Big mistake.

 

That bit's up to him isn't it?

If he performs and gets the goals, we will stop up. That's what we will be paying him for.

 

Nardiello has tried the beat the opposition by yourself tack,

its not working for him.

 

It's actually AR's fault he's having second thoughts.

AR told him all he would have to do would be to come in at 11, play a bit of head-tennis and go home for 12. Now he finds he has to read a dossier, buy a new suit for match days,sit in front of a whiteboard for hours on end and doesn't like it!</p>

There, next excuse sorted.</p>

</p>

 

RE: Constantine needs to know that Barnsley are capable of avoiding an immediate return to League On

if thats the case then we have no hope in hell of signing him,we have no chance of staying in this league and everyone knows it