Lee Richardson is making moves to bolster his squad after Chesterfield FC accepted an offer of £400,000 for Jamie Ward from Barnsley.
The two clubs reached agreement yesterday – with all the fee being paid up-front – and the Spireites boss has been working hard to secure a new striker and a keeper in time for the visit of Rochdale on Saturday.
Ward (22), League Two’s leading mar
ksman with a total of 16 goals this season, now has to pass a medical at Oakwell and agree personal terms with the Championship club.
Chesterfield have also negotiated a sell-on clause and other ‘extras’ with the South Yorkshire outfit.
Ward’s agent Gino Culbertson said other clubs had shown an interest in the former Aston Villa and Torquay frontman.
Derby County, Sheffield United, Ipswich, Leeds United Peterborough and Scunthorpe had all been running the rule over the 22-year-old striker.
There had also been interest from abroard with top Norwegian side Viking Stravanger dipping a toe into the water.
‘‘Such interest is very flattering for Jamie as he has always wanted to play at the highest level,’’ said Culbertson.
A Barnsley insider said: ‘‘We have been looking for a small, nippy striker and Jamie fits the bill.’’
Ward turned down a new contract with Chesterfield and club bosses were glad to have his transfer sorted – because if Ward had walked away in the summer and joined another club, it was unlikely that a fee set by a tribunal would be anywhere near as large as the one agreed with Barnsley.
Ward is also keen to tie up a move as a switch to a Championship club would boost his chances of gaining a regular place in the full Northern Ireland squad.
Ward joined the Blues in January, 2007, from Torquay, for around £100,000.
The Devon club – who negotiated a 25 per cent sell-on clause – will now receive £100,000.
Richardson will want to move swiftly to draft in a replacement.
For it has been stated many times that promotion into League One was the aim with a berth in the League Two play-offs an expectation.
The Spireites are currently ten points adrift of a play-off slot and Ward has been the team’s most potent hitman.
Chesterfield will want to push on in the second half of the season and although Scott Boden has emerged as a promising young talent, the club will need a proven striker, in addition to Jack Lester, to have a realistic tilt at promotion.
Fans will also expect the club to bring in a new front man to help pursue their ambitions of climbing back into League One.
Meanwhile, Derek Niven could be set for a comeback in Saturday’s home match against Rochdale.
The 25-year-old midfielder has been recuperating following successful treatment for testicular cancer and has been out since mid November.
Richardson said: “Derek has been keeping himself fit and it will be great to have him back. It almost feels like we are getting a new player joining the squad.”
Niven joined Chesterfield in December, 2003, from Bolton Wanderers and has so far made 199 league appearances for the Spireites and scored 14 league goals.
