Barnsley: Skipper Marc Roberts on the verge of Oakwell exit
Barnsley: Skipper Marc Roberts on the verge of Oakwell exit  . Barnsley captain Marc Roberts is on the verge of completing his move to Championship club Birmingham City.
The clubs have agreed a fee in the region of £3. 5million, with add-ons believed to be included in the deal.
Blues boss Harry Redknapp has seemingly got his man after Roberts passed his medical yesterday, with a deal expected to formally be completed over the weekend.
Head coach Paul Heckingbottom on Thursday revealed the Reds had knocked back two offers from two Championship clubs – with one believed to be the Blues.
Hull City reportedly made a late move to try and snatch Roberts from under Redknapp’s nose, but it proved to be too little too late for the Tigers.
Birmingham had previously tried to lure the defender away from South Yorkshire, with two bids - the second believed to be £1. 5million - turned down while Gary Rowett was in charge.
Roberts, who made 84 appearances for the Reds, was the man Redknapp turned to after failing to land John Terry, who looks set to join arch rivals Aston Villa.
Speculation surrounding Roberts’ future has been rife all summer, with Liam Lindsay’s arrival from Scottish Premiership outfit Partick Thistle adding fuel to the fire that the player was leaving.
Ahead of Roberts’ expected departure, Barnsley announced the signing of centre half Ethan Pinnock from Forest Green Rovers on a three-year deal – their fifth acquisition of the summer.
The towering 24-year-old made 43 appearances as Rovers won promotion to the Football League for the first time in their history. Roberts has followed in a long line of Barnsley defenders to secure big-money moves away from the club.
John Stones, Mason Holgate, Alfie Mawson and James Bree have all left Oakwell in recent years and Roberts looks set to continue that heritage.
Roberts joined the club on a free transfer from non-league Halifax Town back in 2015, so the Reds have turned a tidy profit in losing another one of their stars.
Mawson moved to Swansea City for £5million last summer, with the club also receiving over £7million when Stones left Everton for Manchester City. Meanwhile, Andy Yiadom could be the next defender to secure a move away.
The Ghanaian international only joined the Reds last summer, but like Roberts is entering the final year of his contract.
Yiadom is reportedly not interested in extending his stay at Oakwell and the club are unlikely to let him leave for free next summer - like Marley Watkins and Josh Scowen did.
Swansea are the frontrunners for his signature, but as it stands are unwilling to meet the club’s £2million valuation of the player.
