Out of all players in Michael Duff’s Cheltenham, one player that stood out the most was Alfie May. Alfie May featured in all 46 games of Cheltenham's League One season and bagged 23 goals, the third-highest in League One. The link with Michael Duff has combined with Barnsley’s need for a new goalscorer to create speculation about whether Barnsley could and should sign May. Here we take a deeper dive into the Striker.
AGE
May’s age of 29 may deter Barnsley from signing the striker due to the unlikelihood of any further sell-on value. Previously, Barnsley have focused on signing young players under the age of 25 with a possibility of a high sell-on fee however May’s age will likely mean the reds won't get as much for the player if and when they sell him further down the line.
However, May’s age could bring experience and leadership to a young Barnsley side as well as a keen eye for goals. Should Duff want May and if his goals will take Barnsley back to the Championship I’m sure the board won't look past Alfie May just because of his age.
WHAT HE WILL ADD TO BARNSLEY
The loss of Woodrow and Morris has left large and unfavorable gaps in Barnsley’s strike force. The reds now lack a proven League One goal scorer. May could fill those gaps should he have a similar season to last season, scoring 23 goals at this level. A reunion with Duff could bolster May’s performances and goal scoring. With better service from players around him, we could expect to see May have another strong goalscoring season at Oakwell.
May's previous working relationship with Duff and tactical familiarity with Duff's system could lead to a seamless fit into this Barnsley side.
PLAYING POSITIONS AND STYLE
LAST SEASON
The striker scored 26 goals in all competitions last season in 53 appearances. 23 of those goals came in League One. May started 40 games in League one and was subbed on in the other 6, meaning he featured in every game last season. In League One, Alfie May averaged 0.5 goals per game and 0.58 goals per start. The striker won Cheltenham's Player of the year award, player’s player of the year, supporter’s player of the year, Mira showers (Cheltenham's sponsor) player of the year as well as another player of the year award. May won League One player of the month in February. The 29-year-old striker gained plenty of recognition for his performances.
OTHER SEASONS
Individually, May's other seasons didn't quite reach the height of his last season.
In 2020/21 May featured 44 times in League Two as Cheltenham won League Two. The striker scored 8 goals in Duff's title-winning side.
In 2019/20, Alfie May started the season at Doncaster Rovers but joined Cheltenham in the January transfer window for an undisclosed fee. After joining, May scored 6 goals for Cheltenham in his 12 games for the club - in League Two. 1 goal every 2 games.
in 2018/19 May scored 11 times for Doncaster in League One, playing 46 games (every game)
2017/18- May played 27 goals with 5 goal contributions for Doncaster
2016/17- May joined Donny halfway through the League Two season and went on to make 16 appearances as they won promotion to League One.
Summarised
Should May continue his goalscoring form from last season, he would be an invaluable asset to Barnsley in our bid for promotion. May showed his goal-scoring ability and with better players around him, he could score even more goals. He could be one of the men to fill the gap left by Woodrow and Morris. May's transfer fee wouldn't be too substantial, estimated at £500k, Barnsley should easily have the funds to buy May to this Barnsley squad.
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