Burton Albion are facing the possibility of losing key star Jake Beesley as Bradford City have mounted a move for the striker.
The Brewers’ striker has been a standout for Gary Bowyer’s side this season, scoring nine times and providing four assists as they look to keep themselves above the relegation places for the remainder of the season.
Bantams Striker Search Continues
According to Pete O’Rourke, Bradford have had ‘a substantial six-figure bid’ rejected for Beesley, who has 18 months left on his contract at the Pirelli Stadium.
Graham Alexander’s side have been actively pursuing new forwards in the latter stages of the window after performances against Huddersfield Town and Lincoln City highlighted their struggles up front.
They have already made moves on that front, with Wrexham striker Paul Mullin and Derby County’s Kayden Jackson expected to arrive at Valley Parade before the window shuts.
It is also believed that former Northampton Town loanee Ethan Wheatley will be heading to West Yorkshire, following a bizarre revelation by Doncaster Rovers boss Grant McCann, stating that City have secured him on loan from Manchester United.
29-year-old Beesley arrived at Burton over the summer, arriving from Blackpool amid interest from teams across League One and Two.
Can Burton Afford Losing Beesley?
With relegation a distinct possibility for Burton Albion this campaign, losing Jake Beesley before the window shuts could be pivotal to their chances of staying out of the bottom four.
His output has been game-changing for the Brewers this campaign, with his efforts securing points, such as his goal and assist against Stevenage and a decisive strike to claim all three points against relegation rivals Blackpool.
While a six-figure bid will likely bring in some good funds to play with going forward, finding a replacement for Beesley will be very difficult at this stage of the window, so this move may not advance beyond this point.
Is Bradford City Overcorrecting?
News of a bid for Jake Beesley comes as a new shock after the past few days of transfer developments. Paul Mullin’s arrival will surely fill the void of Andy Cook’s departure, but bringing in a further three players to play up front alongside Will Swan may be too much.
Kayden Jackson, who can play up front despite being a winger, and Ethan Wheatley should provide enough cover while Swan remains out injured and Stephen Humphrys fails to deliver in his and Antoni Sarcevic’s absence.
All three of those potential incomings are not clinical enough for Bradford and their ambitions of promotion, though, meaning that a move for Beesley is likely seeking out that proven, experienced League One-level forward the Bantams are screaming out for.
So while he may be the best choice out of all their potential signings to lead the line, Burton’s situation may mean that it is the only one of those moves that will not come to fruition.