Medical booked: Defender agrees 3.5-year deal with Yorkshire club - Exclusive

Forest Green defender Liam Kitching is set to undergo a Barnsley medical as he closes in on a Yorkshire return 18 months after being let go by Leeds United.

A recruitment source has told Football Insider that the Oakwell outfit have agreed a three-and-a-half year deal with the centre-back.

The transfer is expected to be completed in the next 48 hours once Kitching has completed his medical and signed the contract.

Football Insider broke the news on 10 December of Barnsley's swoop for the 21-year-old defender and they subsequently agreed a fee of £500,000 later last month.

Barnsley have spent the last three weeks working on the deal for Kitching as they look to bring in a young central defender who can strengthen their side.

Kitching has been frozen out at Forest Green over that period and has not featured for them since 5 December.

He has been identified as a top talent by Barnsley after making a strong impression in League Two since joining from Leeds in the summer of 2019.

The youngster, who can play at left-back as well as centre-back, started 15 of the fourth-tier club's first 16 league matches this season.

But he has not figured in their last six matches in all competitions.

He has been an instrumental figure in Forest Green climbing to third in the division to challenge for promotion to League One.

Kitching did not play for the Leeds first team while at the club and Marcelo Bielsa gave the green light for him to leave in the summer of 2019.

This came after a highly successful loan move at then non-league Harrogate Town.

In other news, "Marcelo Bielsa guaranteed to be on the phone" as huge Leeds United signing claim dropped.