Barnsley have responded to links between manager Valerien Ismael and Crystal Palace, stating that there is no indication the 45-year-old wishes to leave Oakwell.
Ismael is on the growing list of managers to have been linked with a move to Selhurst Park in the summer should Roy Hodgson depart.
Hodgson will be out of contract at the end of the season, and the 73-year-old has been keen to maintain that no talks have yet taken place over his future – a situation he says he is quite happy with.
The likes of Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe, Frank Lampard and Paulo Fonseca have all reportedly been added to Palace’s shortlist in rumours over recent months, and former Crystal Palace player Ismael is apparently now among them after a fantastic run as manager at Barnsley.
The Tykes could seal a spot in the Championship play-offs this season, currently sitting joint-fifth in the table with a five-point lead over seventh-place Reading with just five games remaining.
With speculation mounting around Ismael’s future, Barnsley chief executive Dane Murphy gave an update on the manager.
“There is of course going to be interest in Valérien because of the unbelievable job that he’s doing,” Murphy told the club website.
“But he has given us no hint or impression that he wants to be anywhere else but in Barnsley.
“We have him on a multiple year contract, he’s at the front of our ship and we want to keep him here for as long as we possibly can.
“I think he really believes in this project here, and we value him so highly. He has been a real breath of fresh air since he arrived and has helped us enormously in making the strides forward that we’ve managed over the last six months.”
Palace are approaching a crossroads this summer, with Hodgson and a number of players all out of contract at the end of the season.
Whether they decide to offer Hodgson another year or not, it seems certain that there will be some turnover in an interesting off season for the club.