Mansfield Town boss on sale of midfielder to Barnsley

MANSFIELD Town manager Nigel Clough believes that the club got a ‘fair’ offer from Barnsley regarding their big deadline-day signing Davis Keillor-Dunn – while labelling their League One rivals’ initial bid for the forward as ‘derisory’.

Keillor-Dunn, who had been lobbying for a trade up the M1 for several weeks, finally finalized his move to the Reds late on Friday, capping weeks of speculation.

In addition to leading the Stags to promotion in 2023–24, the 26-year-old was chosen to the EFL League Two Team of the Season after leading the Nottinghamshire team in goals scored with 22.

Keillor-Dunn was also chosen by readers of the national football magazine FourFourTwo as the best League Two player.

“I think the fee that Mr and Mrs Radford (Mansfield owners) got for him on the final day was brilliant – very close to a club record if it isn’t a club record,” Clough said to the Mansfield Chad while on the move.

“The initial proposal we got from Barnsley was laughably ridiculous.

It has been brewing for a few weeks, and in the end, I believe it was justified.

“And since the player didn’t want to be here, it was the best bargain for us.

“As with football, it will take some getting used to him being gone, but we will adjust and move on. Participants arrive and depart.”

The Sunderland native, according to Clough, had been eager to go since the beginning of the preseason. This desire was intensified when Barnsley’s interest surfaced and Reds head coach Darrell Clarke made the attacker his top transfer target for the summer window.

Clough, who managed Sheffield United in Yorkshire once before, continued, saying, “Davis was brilliant for us for 18 months.”

“Anyone who chooses not to be here cannot be carried by us. Each player must give their all, and Davis has stated his desire to leave the team since the first day of training.

“I don’t want people around who don’t want to be here and I don’t think the supporters do or his team mates.”