CALLUM Styles has signed a four-year contract with League One Barnsley – but will stay with Bury on loan until January.

The Shakers accepted an undisclosed fee for the 18-year-old midfielder, believed to be around £500,000, before the deal was completed on Monday.

Styles shrugged off an ankle injury to start Bury’s League Two opener at home to Yeovil last Saturday but talks were already advanced with Barnsley.

The deal includes add-ons and his loan back to the Shakers may be extended.

“It could potentially be longer,” said manager Ryan Lowe. “Callum is quite happy with that as he feels that he still wants to play games.”

Bury signed Styles in March 2016 after he was released by Burnley and after making his first-team debut at the end of the 2015/16 season, he made his 27th appearance on Saturday.

“Callum was brought back into the first-team environment during my interim period last season,” said Lowe.

“He was a breath of fresh air for us and one of our star players. He’s come back in pre-season fitter and stronger. It was only a matter of time until a club at a higher level invested in Callum’s services.”

Bury chairman Stewart Day added: “When a club comes in and matches your valuation on a player, you have to do the right thing and try to do what is collectively best for the club and the player. We feel a move to Barnsley is in the long-term interest of the player and our club. We agree with Barnsley the shorter-term, immediate development of the player is still best served at our club.”

Styles becomes the latest youth product to be sold for a fee during Day’s tenure after Matty Foulds (Everton), Emeka Obi (Liverpool), Jordan Bedeau (Aston Villa), Will Ferry (Southampton) and George Miller (Middlesbrough).

Day added: “It is pleasing to see Callum start to fulfil the potential we all feel he has.

“Special thanks must go to Mark Litherland and Ryan Kidd for the work they have done with Callum and continue to do within our academy.”