Barnsley have completed the signing of highly-rated Walsall striker Tom Bradshaw.
After a summer-long pursuit of The Saddlers frontman, The Tykes have finally swooped to secure Bradshaw’s services, fending off heavy competition for the Welshman from Yorkshire rivals Rotherham.
Bradshaw first surged to prominence on the footballing stage after making a £50,000 switch from Shrewsbury to Walsall in July 2014. The 23-year-old bagged 20 goals in each of Walsall’s last two third division campaigns, and Barnsley boss Paul Heckingbottom will be hoping Bradshaw’s scorching run of scoring form can be continued at a higher level.
Bradshaw battled to secure promotion from League One in the 2015/16 campaign, however he and Walsall ultimately fell short after being defeated by Barnsley in the playoffs. Now, the striker makes the switch to Oakwell, after having handed in a transfer request this week to force through a move to The Tykes.
Acquiring Bradshaw’s signature has undoubtedly bolstered Barnsley’s attacking arsenal, boosting their chances of impressing upon their return to the Championship.
Speaking to Barnsley’s club website, boss Heckingbottom commented on how signing Bradshaw would improve his side,
“Tom will fit in well with our playing philosophy. We want to play two up front and Tom will add undoubted strength to our strike force.”
Having had multiple opportunities to eye his new club last season, Bradshaw was impressed with what he saw, making the decision to leave for Barnsley an easy choice for the Welshman,
“I was very impressed with Barnsley last year. The service to the strikers was outstanding. When the chance to join Barnsley came, I jumped at the chance.”
With the 16/17 campaign less than a month away, Bradshaw will be hoping to forge a lethal striking partnership with Sam Winnall to fire Barnsley up the table this season.
