Barnsley have made their NINTH signing of the summer and second from Yorkshire rivals Leeds United with the eye-catching addition of winger Mallik Wilks.
Arguably the most exciting signing so far, 20 year old Wilks opted for Barnsley over Hull City who reportedly had had a £1.2m bid accepted but could not agree personal terms.
Wilks made only one appearance for the Whites. as a 64th minute substitute in a shock 1-0 FA Cup defeat at non league Sutton in January 2017 however he had a stellar season in League One last season, scoring 16 times and providing 12 assists for Doncaster Rovers as they made the play-offs.
Wilks who has scored on his debut for two of the three clubs he has been on loan at (Doncaster and Accrington) signed a scholarship with his home city club in 2015 and was first called up to Leeds first team squad in December 2016 - an unused substitute against Reading - 17 days later he signed his first professional contract, just 15 days after his 18th birthday.
He was sent out on loan to then League Two side Accrington Stanley at the start of the 2017-2018 campaign following the agreement of a four year deal at Elland Road, scoring on his debut, a 95th minute equaliser in a 2-2 draw at Notts County. Wilks would net another four times in 23 appearances, with his final appearance coming at the end of December 2017 in a 3-0 win at Grimsby at which point Stanley were seventh in the league but would go up as champions with Wilks receiving a title medal.
Wilks would finish that season at Grimsby but made only six appearances due to injury and the Mariners failed to win any of those.
His impressive time at Accrington saw Wilks make the move up to League One for 2018-2019 as he signed on loan for Doncaster, again scoring on his debut, the second goal in an opening day 3-2 win at Southend - indeed Wilks would score in each of the first three matches of the season (league wins at Southend and v Wycombe and an EFL Cup triumph at Scunthorpe), the first time he had ever scored in three successive matches.
By the end of 2018 Wilks had netted eight times for Rovers, helping the side to sit just one point outside the playoffs which saw Leeds agree a new two year contract and extend his stay at the Keepmoat until the end of the campaign where he would score a further eight times including another successive treble in victories over Bristol Rovers, Walsall and Bradford, however that match winning goal at Bradford on the 6th April would be his last and he failed to help Rovers reach Wembley, losing 4-3 on penalties to Charlton following a 4-4 aggregate draw.
It was believed that Hull were the front-runners to bring Wilks into the Championship following manager Grant McCann's switch there from Doncaster however it is reported that Barnsley matched the Tigers bid and then offered more in wages.