Slobodan Tedic - What can Barnsley expect from new striker?

After an entire summer of waiting, Barnsley finally confirmed another striker had signed for the club on Thursday morning. Slobodan Tedic was pictured holding up the red and white scarf, but fans weren't too pleased by the signing.

You only need to look at his goal scoring record at his other loan clubs to see reasoning behind the fans reaction, and fuel was only added to the fire when Tykes boss Michael Duff insinuated that Tedic was merely a 'development loan' and he was a good tool to strengthen the relationship of parent club Manchester City and the Reds. So, to quell the speculation about Tedic's ability, I decided to dig deeper into the Serbian's short career so far. A huge thank you must be given to PEC Zwolle UK, who provided us with a lot of info.

The Oakwell faithful can expect a hard-working and strong target man who could be compared to Devante Cole, someone who will link attacks and hold the ball up, to allow space for the likes of Luke Thomas, Luca Connell and Josh Benson. Standing at a healthy 6 foot and 2 inches, there is no doubt that Tedic will bring a breath of physicality to the side - an area that Barnsley have struggled with since Daryl Dike returned to Orlando City in May 2021.

A lack of goals seems to be a recurring topic for Barnsley, and Tedic is unlikely to solve that. Despite a lot of positives with his physical and aerial ability, his finishing is very much a work-in-progress. Despite over 100 career appearances across four different clubs, Tedic has only managed to net 16 goals - a poor return for a striker. PEC Zwolle was his most recent loan, and despite a bright start to his career in the Netherlands, Tedic was plagued by injuries over the course of his two seasons in blue and white (Zwolle were relegated from the Eredivisie in his second year, and he failed to score).

Injuries certainly have defined his past two years, and Tedic will hope his loan move to South Yorkshire will see him on the field, rather than in the treatment room. I am certainly on the fence with Tedic, there is no doubting he will bring a different element to Michael Duff's side, and perhaps create the option of a 'Plan B' - but can he stay fit and improve in front of goal?

We have a good player in the works, but can he be the man to fire Barnsley to an instant return to the Championship? Time will tell. Welcome to Oakwell, Slobodan!