Barnsley Set To End Pursuit Of League Two Defender

MK Dons defender Jack Tucker looks set to stay with the League Two club despite interest from Barnsley, according to reports from journalist Alan Nixon.

The Tykes have been in the market for a central defender since the departure of Mads Juel Andersen and valued Tucker high up on their list. However, with the Englishmen being an important asset for the Dons, a substantial asking price has put last year’s League One playoff finalists off the deal.

Who Is Jack Tucker?

Tucker too expensive for Barnsley, claim reports

The 23-year-old started his footballing career in Gillingham’s youth setup before going on to make 134 appearances for the South East club. Taking the step up to MK Dons last summer, Tucker has been a reliable player throughout the early part of his career and is valued highly by Dons manager Graham Alexander.

A Fall From Grace?

After narrowly missing out on promotion in last year’s League One playoff final, Barnsley came out on fire for the new season with a 7-0 thrashing on the opening day to Port Vale. However, the Tykes have been winless in their last four fixture, conceding nine goals in that time, including a Carabao Cup loss to League Two’s Tranmere Rovers.

MK Looking To Rebound

Tucker hopes Dons have answered a few questions aimed at them with win | Milton Keynes Citizen

On the other hand, MK has started strong in their return to League Two with a tally of nine points from their first four games. With their only loss coming at the hands of surprise starters Crawley Town, Tucker has been a vocal point in the heart of the defence for the club.

Writer’s View

At still a young age and with close to 200 games of experience already, Tucker has shown he can cut it at the third tier of English football, however, certainly looks like a deal with be hard to come by. With MK looking to keep their return to League Two short, a high price is the only thing tempting them from selling the Gillingham product, which is something Barnsley can’t see happening.

However, following a poor start to the season defensively and the transfer window deadline fast approaching, potentially some movement may occur towards the end of the month.