Bradford City have continued to build on their promotion from League Two with a fifth summer signing set to be confirmed later this week as Graham Alexanar moulds a squad ready to compete in the third tier for the first time since 2018/19.
A stoppage-time winner from Antoni Sarcevic on the final day victory over Fleetwood Town secured promotion to League One for the Bantams.
The club have already completed permanent deals for Joe Wright, Josh Neufville, Max Power and Curtis Tilt on free transfers following the expiration of their contracts.
The Graham Alexander Effect
53-year-old Alexandar took over Bradford City following the departure of Mark Hughes in November 2023, with the team sitting in 18th place in League Two. The experienced EFL manager won 18 of his 35 league matches in charge in that campaign to secure a ninth-place finish.
The former Preston North End and Burnley player has impressed in his managerial career, excluding a brief stint at MK Dons. He secured promotion from the fourth tier via the play-offs with Fleetwood Town in 2014 and has an impressive win ratio of over 42% in 353 matches managed across League One and Two.
Alexander made Bradford City a difficult side to break down, and they ranked in the top three for successful tackles and in the bottom six for shots faced per game across the 2024/25 League Two campaign. They ranked in the top four in % of aerial duels won, and the strong work ethic instilled by the manager has been the crucial bedrock of their promotion-winning campaign.
Their activity in the summer transfer window indicates the club’s ambitions ahead of next season. They could be about to secure their most impressive signing yet.
Bradford City Expected to Sign Stockport County Left-Back
Despite a range of excellent performances for the Hatters, Ibou Touray is set to leave following the expiration of his contract this summer. The left-back made ten goal contributions as Stockport County won the League Two title in 2023/24 and was almost an ever-present in their run to the play-offs this campaign.
The 30-year-old made 50 appearances in all competitions this season and has been a consistent source of creativity since helping Salford City to the EFL in 2019. His return of 38 assists in 228 matches in the third and fourth tiers has clearly caught the eye of Bradford City.
According to Alan Nixon, the Bantams have eagerly opened talks with Touray, and he is reportedly set to join before the weekend.
It appears to be a strategy of the club as they have made moves for experienced players, with three of their four additions over the age of 30. The arrival of Touray would continue this trend, and if a deal does close, it would be an impressive coup for the club. Touray would arguably start for most League One outfits, but Bradford City have made their move early in an early show of their ambition.