Daniel Stendel believes there are ‘good arguments’ for his promotion stars to stay at Oakwell and says the club will take up their options to sign Mike Bahre and Dimitri Cavare for next season.
The Reds have an option to make permanent the loan deal of German midfielder Bahre from Hannover96. The 23-year-old has played 42 games this season, scoring twice, after joining up with Stendel who he worked with previously at Hannover. Stendel said of his compatriot: “We have decided that we want to keep him here and I think we will.”
Bahre told the Chronicle: “Hopefully I will stay. We are talking to each other, the club and me and my agent. I hope I will sign in the next few days or weeks. I would like to stay here.”
Barnsley will also need to decide whether to take up their option to keep right-back Dimitri Cavare for a third season. The Frenchman was a regular in the team until the final month of the campaign when he was dropped for the last five matches.
But he returned to the matchday squad for the final game at Bristol Rovers on Saturday and came on at half-time. Stendel said: “We have an option and we will take that option. He’s a very big player for us.”
The Reds may face more difficulties keeping other players. Goalkeeper Adam Davies, who is now out of contract, is understood to be on the radar of several Championship clubs. Barnsley are also keen to extend the deals of star centre-backs Ethan Pinnock and Liam Lindsay, who both have a year remaining on their current deals.
Asked if he is confident Barnsley will keep hold of their star players, Stendel said: “It’s a good question which I cannot answer. I hope we can keep most of these players and sign some new players for the Championship. We want the players to stay. It’s not easy, I know that. “But we have good arguments to convince the players to stay here.”
