One-time Portsmouth target and £1.2m-rated midfielder to spark transfer tussle as he plans for League One exit as free agent

Former Pompey midfield target Herbie Kane is reportedly set to cut his ties with Barnsley.

According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, via his patreon,  the 25-year-old will call time on his Oakwell stay this summer upon the expiry of his contract as he seeks Championship football.

That has supposedly alerted Derby County, who finished runners-up behind the Blues in this season’s League One title race - and will no doubt attract others, with the former Liverpool player a mainstay of Barnsley’s unsuccessful promotion pushes over the past two seasons.

Kane made 43 league appearances for the Tykes this season as they finished sixth and lost 5-4 on aggregate to Bolton in the play-off semi-finals. He contributed nine goals and registered five assists for his side in the league as he completed the season with a 6.84 rating from whoscored.com.

There’s currently no new links with a move to Pompey. But the £1.2m-rated player was on the Blues’ radar under Kenny Jackett. Indeed, in the summer of 2019, Pompey were keen to do business with Liverpool for their then emerging talent.  Kane, however,  remained with the Reds, before sealing a loan switch to Championship Hull later that season.

Further attempts were made a year later, only for Barnsley to strike a £1.25m deal with Liverpool for the Bristol-born ace. Since moving to Oakwell in 2020, Kane has made 123 appearances for the club.

Pompey are on the lookout for midfield reinforcements this summer after they parted company with former Ipswich enforcer Lee Evans following the conclusion of their season. Alex Robertson’s loan from Manchester City has expired. Meanwhile, there’s also a very good chance that Joe Morrell has  played his last game for the Blues, after they declined to take up a 12-month option on his current deal.

At present, Pompey’s central midfield options for their return to the Championship are Marlon Pack (new deal offered), Tom Lowery, Owen Moxon, Terry Devlin and Ben Stevenson.

Blues head coach John Mousinho played with Kane during the midfielder’s loan stay with the U’s in 2021-22, when he recorded six assists from 35 league games. The Pompey boss has already utilised his Oxford connections during his time in charge at Fratton Park after persuading ex-Kassam Stadium team-mate Gavin Whyte to move to the south coast last summer.