Sunderland target Callum Styles was left out of Barnsley’s 2-1 defeat against Exeter City on Saturday, the reason being down to an illness according to Tykes coach Neill Collins.
Sunderland are reportedly close to signing the Hungary international, who was also left out of Barnsley’s 1-0 win over Oxford United on Tuesday. However, they are yet to secure a deal as we near the end of the transfer window.
Styles was left out against Exeter City over the weekend, sparking more conjecture over his future. However, Barnsley manager Collins has explained why he was left out of the matchday squad for the second time in a row. Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield (quoted from the Sunderland Echo), he said:
“No improvement since the other night.
“Callum missed today because he has been unwell so obviously this week things will happen either way with loads of different clubs and loads of different players and we will see where we are then,” he said.
It’s a nerve-racking moment for lower league club supporters when their best players are rumored to be leaving for teams in higher leagues, especially in the final few days of the window.
Styles, who joined Barnsley from Bury in 2018, has made 22 appearances for the Tykes this season, with the majority of them coming as a central or attacking midfielder. Because of his versatility, he has occasionally played as a left midfielder and can fill in as a full-back if needed.
The 23-year-old has three goals and two assists this season, helping Barnsley’s promotion ambitions.
Are Styles on the move?
Although Styles played for the Tykes at the start of last season, he signed a season-long loan contract with Millwall on transfer deadline day to continue playing Championship football after Barnsley was relegated to League One the previous season.
A muscle injury forced the Sunderland target to miss a significant amount of the season for the Lions, but he still appeared in 22 games, scoring one goal and assisting once. Styles did not miss a single match when he was available, whether starting or coming off the bench.
The Black Cats are in need of an extra midfielder following Alex Pritchard’s refusal to play, and with Collins refusing to rule out Styles’ exit, we may yet see movement on this front before the window closes.
“Obviously by Thursday, we’ll know what we’ve got for the rest of the season,” stated the Barnsley manager.
Styles’ future may include the Stadium of Light.
