Chester FC may have turned down a bid from Barnsley for the services of teenage defender Sam Hughes last month but the Championship side haven't ended their pursuit of the defender.
Hughes, 19, was the subject of bid from the Tykes towards the end of the transfer window last month, but their approach was rebuffed by the Blues who did not believe that the 'substantial' sum offered matched the true value of the player.
A product of Chester's academy, Hughes has been the subject of much interest this season and his performances, most notably those at the heart of defence, have attracted plenty of scouts to the Lookers Vauxhall Stadium.
Barnsley boss Paul Heckingbottom lost a number of key players in January, with defender James Bree and midfielder Connor Hourihane both making multi-million pound switches to Aston Villa.
And with the Oakwell side now having plenty of cash at their disposal, the Guardian reports today that they are likely to come back in for Wirral-born Hughes this summer, when any fee would be decided via a tribunal.
Chester are confident of reaching their valuation for Hughes at a tribunal with sell-on clauses likely to be of paramount importance given Barnsley's track record in bringing on talent.
Bree was a product of Barnsley's academy, as was England and Manchester City defender John Stones who made a £50m switch from Everton to City last year. Heckingbottom was involved with Stones' development at Oakwell at every stage.
Add to that the likes of Alfie Mawson, now at Swansea City, and the likes of Marc Robers, Angus MacDonald and Andy Yiadom, all of whom were plucked from the lower leagues, then you can see a move for Hughes fits in well with the Tykes' philosophy.
Chester have offered Hughes a new deal but he is expected to move on in the summer.
But Barnsley will likely face stiff competition for his services with Swansea City, Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers all keen on the defender, with Palace sending scouts to the 2-1 defeat to Gateshead on Saturday.
