Barnsley eyeing up Middlesbrough midfielder Kamil Conteh

In less than one weeks time, Barnsley will head to the capital to try and secure their place in the Championship once again when they take on South Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Wednesday in the League One play-off final.

Despite not knowing what division they will be playing in though next season, Barnsley have been on the hunt for new players going into next season in the final weeks of the season just gone, with one youngster in particular of interest to Michael Duff.

According to The Mirror reporter Dan Marsh, the Tykes – along with League Two outfit Colchester United – have been watching young Middlesbrough midfielder Kamil Conteh, who has been on loan at National League side Gateshead for the majority of the season.

Who is Kamil Conteh?

Born in London, Conteh spent time in Crystal Palace’s academy as a teenager between 2014 and 2017 and a year after departing the Eagles, he was picked up by Watford.

Conteh made his debut for the Hornets back in January 2022 in an FA Cup contest against Leicester City, but not long after signed for sixth-tier side Braintree Town on loan for the remainder of the campaign.

Middlesbrough picked Conteh up last summer with his exit looming from Vicarage Road and after appearing for Boro’s under-21’s, he joined Gateshead in October in a deal which ended up lasting until the end of the 2022-23 season.

At Gateshead, Conteh played 33 times in the National League, scoring twice, and his outings have clearly been good enough to see scouts come to the North East to see him in action.

Would Kamil Conteh be a good signing for Barnsley?

It’s hard to say as to whether Conteh would be a signing that is immediately thrust into the first-team picture should they explore a move, but it would pretty much come with zero risks.

Conteh is out of contract at Boro this summer and it’s pretty much a given that the club will not see him as ready to be in the first-team squad just yet, so he could be eyeing up a permanent departure even if he’s offered an extension to be a part of the under-21’s.

The question is – what level is he now at? With pretty much a full season of National League football under his belt, the next logical step would be to feature in League Two – next season though Barnsley will either be in League One or the Championship.

Regardless of that though, the Tykes would not be risking much if they were to move for Conteh, but he’s probably not good enough yet to be playing in their first-team.