Barnsley have had a bid for Cheltenham Town winger Jordan Thomas turned down. The Tykes are now considering whether to return with a second bid according to journalist Ben Jacobs.
The 24-year-old joined Cheltenham in the 2024 January transfer window and has made 62 appearances since then. In that time, the Englishman has scored on nine occasions.
A Successful 2024-25 For Jordan Thomas?
Whilst he has been at Town for 18 months, the majority of Thomas’ success came in the 2024-25 season. During the campaign, the winger appeared 40 times in EFL League Two and was able to score on eight occasions. Furthermore, he was able to assist goals on two occasions.
As well as this, the 24-year-old had 72 shots and created 36 chances with 29 successful crosses. He also executed 84 successful crosses with a 50.9% dribble success rate which put him amongst the best in the fourth tier last season.
These statistics shows us that the winger was able to make things happen with the ball.
But, it isn’t just in an attacking context where the former Bath City man is able to be successful for his team which is due to his outstanding defensive figures.
Through using FotMob, we can see that the Englishman was able to win 74.7% of his tackles and 285 duels. These figures put the 24-year-old amongst the best wingers in EFL League Two in a defensive context.
Overall, Thomas’ attacking and defensive figures show his ability to contribute to a side positively and show his well-rounded nature. The figures displayed here can also used to justify the winger making the step up to EFL League One.
A Barnsley Team Looking To Improve
Barnsley’s twelfth place finish last season in EFL League One was far from their 6th and 4th place finishes in the 2023-24 and 2022-23 seasons respectively.
This makes the 2025-26 season as important as ever in dictating the mood with the Tykes’ fanbase.
So far this summer, Conor Hourihane’s side have made five signings. But, the standout amongst these arguably is David McGoldrick. Experienced, impressive, a key. You could use any set of words to describe the Englishman but his performance in EFL League Two last season, that saw him score 17 goals make his step up to the third tier arguably expected.
However, more must be done to increase the quality and depth of Barnsley’s squad ahead of the upcoming season. This could make the signing of Jordan Thomas, for a fee, a valuable addition to the Tykes’ attacking section of the squad.
Would Thomas Be A Good Signing?
Jordan Thomas is a well-rounded and talented winger who, at just 24, still has the potential to improve even further. This could make the step-up to EFL League One his next challenge to improve even further.
But, with only one full season in EFL League Two, it could also be said that another season in the fourth tier would help him to gain essential experience that may help him step-up in the future.
What do you think? Is Jordan Thomas ready to make the step-up and would he benefit Barnsley or should he stay in EFL League Two next season? Let us know in the comments.
