According to a recap of Thursday transfer stories from the Daily Record, Barnsley is a side showing a definite interest in wantaway Burton Albion midfielder Scott Fraser.
Who is Scott Fraser and what has he done?
Fraser was a free transfer bargain for the Burton Albion when signing from boyhood side Dundee United. The Tangerines were a side that he’d been at since 2006 when signing as an 11-year-old.
His time at The Terrors saw him make 106 appearances, netting 15 goals and providing 28 assists. His subsequent step into League One with the Brewers has seen him continue that form and threat that he had north of the border.
For Burton, Fraser has featured in 91 games since inking his two-year deal in 2018. From these 91 appearances, he has scored 16 goals and provided 19 assists in total. It is this season where he has most caught the eyes of Barnsley and Hull City, who are also said interested.
This season Fraser has featured across the middle for Burton mostly in roles as a central midfielder (11 appearances) and a more advanced attacking midfielder (17 appearances). It is from these positions that he has proven to be most effective, scoring nine goals and providing 12 assists.
It is his form in League One that is most encouraging for any suitors such as Barnsley. His 30 league appearances for Burton this season have brought about five goals and 11 assists in a Brewers side that often misfires and lacks true consistency. This includes a hat-trick against Oxford United and a hat-trick of assists against Bolton.
Will Scott Fraser bring enough to grant Barnsley promotion?
First and foremost, it must be said that Barnsley are not yet dead and buried in terms of avoiding relegation from the Championship. However, they are bottom of the table and seven points and six goals shy of Hull City in 21st. To escape from that position would require some turnaround in fortune.
Expecting a player like Scott Fraser to waltz into Oakwell and single-handedly turn around the Tykes fortunes is a little too much fanciful thinking. However, he could play his part in helping them gain instant promotion should they find themselves relegated at the end of this campaign.
A little look at his per 90 mins stats gives an indication of what he could bring to the Tigers. He makes 2 shots per game and 1.1 of these are from inside the area – 0.3 being on target. He is also a player who brings others into play, making 2.8 key passes per 90 – passes that lead to teammate opportunities.
Putting aside the idea of per 90 mins stats, the headline figures that might convince Barnsley fans that he could be more than worth a punt still remain thus: 5 goals and 11 assists for Burton.
Barnsley have already re-signed Alex Mowatt and they’d need to make sure that 24-goal pairing Cauley Woodrow and Conor Chaplin stay at the club. Doing that, then adding the talents of Fraser into the mix, might just be enough to guarantee promotion next season if the Tykes are relegated this season.
