Town are reported to have sent a representative to watch last week’s game between Swedish sides IFK Gothenburg and Malmo FF. Both clubs currently have a number of promising youngsters in their ranks.
IFK’s line-up included 18-year-old striker or winger Nicklas Bärkroth, who had a trial with the Town academy in 2006 before opting to remain in his home country with Balltorps and then his current club.
Bärkroth, the youngest player ever to appear in the Swedish top division, is rated as one of Sweden’s most promising players and is reported to have been interesting Barnsley and Nottingham Forest. His father, Robert Bengtsson-Bärkroth, was briefly a Barnsley player a decade ago and is now an agent.
Striker Robin Söder is rated even more highly than Bärkroth and was linked with a number of top Italian and German clubs a year ago prior to damaging his cruciate knee ligament at the UEFA U21 Championships. Despite his lengthy absence, the 19-year-old is likely to be beyond Town’s reach.
IFK also have Tobias Hysén in their squad, but the winger who played for Roy Keane at Sunderland missed the game, which Malmö won 2-0, due to injury.
TWTD’s Malmö correspondent says the SkÃ¥ne-based club have a number of promising young players at present, including Daniel Larsson (striker), who scored the first against IFK, Guillermo Molins (striker/winger), Agon Mehmeti (striker), Jiloan Hamad (winger), Jasmin Sudic (central defender) and Jimmy Durmaz (left winger), scorer of the second goal.
Meanwhile, midfielder Carlos Edwards admits that his first year with the Blues has been less than impressive: "It was one of my worst seasons for not being in the form I should have been in. I'm just hoping I can put it behind me and start next season on a positive.
"Obviously there are going to be changes and it's the manager who will say who he wants to bring in and who's going to go.
"I'm just hoping I'm one of those who stays here so I can prove to him I'm worth being in the squad on a regular basis."