Peterborough United have smashed their transfer record to sign Crawley Town forward Tyrone Barnett.
Crawley Town Chief Executive Alan Williams has confirmed to their club website that striker Tyrone Barnett has joined Posh.
Tyrone, 26, will join initially on loan until the end of the season but will sign on a permanent basis when the loan expires at the end of the season.
The combined loan and transfer fee is a League 2 record!
The amount being paid by Posh also exceeds the £1 million price tag placed on the player by Crawley manager Steve Evans during the January transfer window.
Chief Executive Alan Williams said: ‘Steve Evans spotted Tyrone Barnett at Macclesfield Town when he was relatively unknown.
‘We paid a significant transfer fee for him but our manager always maintained that with hard work and good coaching on the training ground he could make him a million pound player – he has done better than that.
‘To be fair to Peterborough United, and Director of Football Barry Fry in particular, they have conducted their business in the most professional manner. I understand Darren Ferguson has watched the lad on a number of occasions and he has persuaded his Chairman to smash their transfer record to secure Tyrone’s signature.
‘As Steve Evans has always maintained, Tyrone Barnett is the best striker playing outside the Premier League and the combined loan and transfer fee certainly recognises that fact.
‘Our manager is extremely disappointed that Tyrone is leaving but the offer from Peterborough not only met but exceeded our Board of Directors’ valuation. We must never forget we are first and foremost a business and this is a great deal for us.
Posh Chairman Darragh MacAnthony said: ‘I am absolutely delighted. We have stolen a march on at least six of our Championship rivals and I can understand why Steve Evans is so devastated to lose a key player at such an important stage of the season.’
Posh boss Darren Ferguson was excited to finally capture Barnett: ‘I am delighted we have signed Tyrone. We have been after him for a while now, he gives us something totally different to what we have already got, which is one of the reasons why we have signed him.
‘I have seen all of his goals and he scores different types of goals. We have had good reports on him and I watched him against Cheltenham Town and I left at half-time. He was very good and I had seen enough. Our chairman has pulled out all of the stops to get him.
‘He is technically very good, he has decent pace and he is extremely good in the air, one of the best I have seen for a while. It gives us a different outlet. What we have found, particularly at home in recent weeks, is that teams have been dropping off us and now we have someone to get on the end of crosses and it is a different option. He is a good age, has a good background, so we are delighted to get him on board,’ Ferguson said.
Speaking to the Posh website, Barnett said: ‘I am very pleased to be a Peterborough United player and I am very excited about the challenge ahead. I am chuffed to bits. I have always followed Peterborough, a few mates have come down here to play and love it here and I cannot wait to get started. I think Peterborough had a bid rejected in the transfer window, but I didn’t let that affect me, I just concentrated on the football.
‘I am always trying to improve my game and hopefully I can continue that improvement here at Peterborough under Darren Ferguson. I have met him a few times and he wants to play football the right way and so do I. I have been pleased with how my season has gone so far and long may that continue.’ Barnett said to PUTV.
UP THE POSH!
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Photos courtesy of www.theposhpics.com
