Barnsley has not been a happy hunting ground for Nottingham Forest in recent visits.
And Saturday’s trip to Oakwell could prove particularly interesting, if one of the stranger transfers of 2020 goes through.
The Tykes are said to be interested in securing the signature of former Manchester City and Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli.
The 30-year-old is a free agent after leaving Italian side Brescia at the end of last season and has been training with Serie D outfit Franciacorta to keep up his fitness.
According to Sky Sports, Barnsley have enquired about signing Balotelli, with talks taking place between the player’s representatives and the club’s co-chairmen Chien Lee and Paul Conway.
However, it seems any deal is still some way off, which might affect the Reds’ chances of facing him.
The Sun report: “Both sides were initially interested in the move before Balotelli's enthusiasm to play in the Championship cooled.
“And the 2012 Premier League winner is now believed to be considering other options.”
Balotelli also counts Inter Milan and AC Milan among his former clubs, winning three Serie A titles and the Champions League with the former.
The former Italy international went on to win the Premier League and FA Cup during his time at Manchester City.
However, he has sometimes attracted headlines for the wrong reasons throughout his career.
He would certainly present a different challenge for Chris Hughton’s side, if Barnsley do manage to pull it off before the weekend.
But given the form Scott McKenna, in particular, has shown since his switch from Aberdeen there’s no reason why the Forest man wouldn’t be confident of coming out on top.
