Paul Heckingbottom is expected to sign a new contract in the coming week, after suggesting that the final negotiations have been delayed because he is focusing on ending Barnsley's current five-game losing run.
The Oakwell club have been keen for several months to tie down the head coach, who has been on a rolling 12-month contract and has been courted by clubs such as Sunderland.
A new deal, which is understood to be in place in principle, would also be a sign of the Reds board's long-term support of Heckingbottom with the club on their worst run since an eight-match losing sequence in 2015. The Reds boss would not reveal the length of the new deal he appears close to signing yesterday, but said: "We're further down the line. How close we are I don't know.
"To be honest, in the last couple of weeks, other things have taken precedence so it has been put on the back burner by me and the club. That is fine by me and fine by the club. There is no pressure. We're not desperate to get it done, but we're getting close. The club are prepared to offer and I am prepared to stay. It's straightforward."
Heckingbottom has previously said that the Reds are 'standing still' due to the pending takeover by a consortium headed by Chinese billionaire Chien Lee and also including US film financer Paul Conway as well as baseball legend Billy Beane.
The takeover is understood to be very likely to happen but probably not until after Christmas. The Reds boss has suggested that that uncertainty over who will be in charge during the January transfer window – and how much money they will give him to spend – means that he cannot do as much planning for new signings as he would like, or offer new contracts to star players.
Asked if he had made plans for if the takeover was not done until during or after the transfer window, he told the Chronicle: "It's pointless talking about it or worrying about it. We will just have to wait and see."
He added: "We're speaking all the time about players we want to keep here and, more importantly, players we want to bring in. But we're not in a position where we can do anything yet. It's just a case of trying to make plans regardless and then see what we can do."
Heckingbottom has previously said that his priority for next month is bringing in a striker, as his side have not netted from open play in the five-match losing run. He denied he was looking at Danny Newton, 26, who has nine goals for League Two Stevenage this season.He is still monitoring Swansea City's Oliver McBurnie who thought he had moved to Oakwell on loan in August but the deal was cancelled as the correct paperwork was not submitted on time.
On McBurnie, Heckingbottom said: "I don't know if he is gettable but we have been watching him. He's been doing really well, scoring goals in the under 23s and playing for the first team. All we can do is keep tabs on him and make sure that, if anything is going to happen, we are in the mix."
Full-back Andy Yiadom – whose contract runs out at the end of the season – has again been linked this week with moves to Premier League clubs West Bromwich Albion and Swansea, with bids expected in the transfer window. Heckingbottom said: "Nothing has changed regarding Yids. He is our player. The club accepted a bid for him in the summer but it didn't happen because of unforeseen circumstances (a failed medical at Huddersfield).
"His contract is up in the summer so either someone buys him, he signs a new deal or he lets his contract run out."
Although a huge admirer of Yiadom, Heckingbottom admits full-back is a position in which he could afford to lose a player. As well as Jason McCarthy, Matty Pearson and Zeki Fryers – who have all played more than ten games this season – he has the fit-again Frenchman Dimitri Cavare who set up a goal for the under 23s in their most recent match.
Heckingbottom told the Chronicle: "We've got plenty of cover for full-backs. Dimi has ticked all the boxes in terms of the return to play programme. He's fit and ready to go and now I am just judging him like any other player."
