Significant Go Ahead Eagles Transfer Collapses

Go Ahead Eagles striker Victor Edvarsen has pulled the plug on a proposed move to Barnsley, according to a report from Sport Bladet.

The pride of the IJssel Kowet had seemingly struck a deal to send the 28-year-old, who earned an international cap for Sweden in 2023, on loan to Oakwell, with an agreed purchase fee of eight million kroner (£950,000) upon completion of the loan.

Edvarsen had settled on personal terms and even travelled to South Yorkshire for his medical, but in a dramatic turn of events, he decided against the move at the last minute. Reports suggest he passed his medical with no issues but ultimately walked away from the transfer, citing “family reasons” as the likely cause.

Now, Edvarsen returns to De Adelaarshorst, where he will rejoin his Go Ahead Eagles teammates in the Eredivisie. Since joining the club, the forward has netted six goals in 33 top-flight appearances for the Eagles. His decision leaves Barnsley with less than 36 hours to secure an alternative target before the transfer window slams shut.

Edvarsen, who developed his skills in Sweden with Goteborg, made his mark in Swedish football with prolific spells at Karlstad BK, Degerfors IF, and Djurgårdens IF. Go Ahead Eagles secured his services in 2023 for a fee of around €700,000 (£590,000).

Barnsley, who had a challenging summer after losing key players like Devante Cole and Herbie Kane, hoped to bolster their attacking options with Edvarsen. Despite a mixed start to their League One campaign, with one win, one draw, and a defeat, Tykes boss Darrell Clarke admitted he didn’t want players at the club who didn’t want to be there.

“It’s disappointing. The news this morning came in and he’s had a change of mind at his end for personal circumstances,” said the former Bristol Rovers boss. “Once I get my head around that, the fact of the matter is I want players that want to be at the football club, it’s as simple as that.

Go Ahead qualified for Europe last season, but their adventure ended abruptly with an aggregate defeat to SK Brann in the UEFA Conference League Second Round. They’ve also had an indifferent start to their Eredivisie season, losing twice and winning once, finally getting up and running this weekend against RKC Waalwijk.

Site Opinion

This could be quite big news for Go Ahead, because they’re clearly not having a good time of it right now. That said, Edvarsen hasn’t been a revelation since signing, so perhaps getting him off the wage bill was a big plus.

One wonders why he chose to walk away from Barnsley. Georgi Hristov wasn’t complimentary about them back in the late nineties; perhaps not much has changed in South Yorkshire since then!