League One rivals Barnsley have been dealt a major blow after Michael Duff penned a three-year deal at Swansea.

Duff guided the Tykes to a fourth-place finish in his first season in charge at Oakwell before recording a narrow victory against Wanderers in the play-off semi-final.

The Yorkshire outfit came up just short against Sheffield Wednesday in the final at Wembley, with Josh Windass scoring a dramatic winner in the final stages of extra time.

Barnsley were named among the early favourites for promotion next term along with the likes of Bolton and Derby.

But Duff has decided to leave his role to pursue an opportunity in the Championship with the Swans, who finished 10th last season.

“Michael has a proven track record of galvanising a group of players into a collective unit, and he has consistently outperformed expectations at his previous clubs,” said Swansea chairman Andy Coleman.

“Every conversation I had with him only reinforced the view that he is exactly the type of leader we need here at Swansea City.

“He is a proven winner, both as a player and as a manager, and I’m confident he will bring that mentality here.

“I believe in his ability and his belief in the Swansea way, while he also possesses the capability to adapt within games to drive results.

"This is a results-driven business. Our position in the table matters to all of us and we are focused on supporting Michael with everything he needs to succeed.”

Barnsley chairman Neerav Parekh confirmed Swansea had triggered a release clause in Duff’s contract but insists the club’s goal is still to push for promotion back to the second tier.

"As a board, we'd like to thank Michael for all his efforts over the last year,” Parekh added.

“We'd also like to appreciate the professional way in which he behaved once Swansea triggered the release clause, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours.

“We want to reassure fans that the search for a new head coach is well underway and should be confirmed soon in order to make the most of pre-season.

“The foundations laid down at the start of last summer ensure that we're able to compete and - regardless of departures - the club is bigger than any one individual.

“We promise to continue to build on the positive progress we’ve made and challenge again next season, to push for promotion back to our natural home in the Championship.”