Exeter City have beaten League One competition to land their latest January target ahead of the second half of the 2024/25 campaign.
Gary Caldwell’s side currently find themselves 14th in League One after suffering back-to-back losses which ended their three-match unbeaten run and sit 10 points away from the top six, whilst also being 11 points above the drop zone.
The January transfer window could give Exeter City the perfect opportunity to strengthen in key areas and push further towards the top half/six in the coming weeks as they aim to return to winning ways.
With that in mind, it appears that their latest recruit is moving even closer to completing his loan move to the football club.
As reported by journalist Jon Palmer, Cardiff City midfielder Joel Colwill has been recalled from his loan stint with Cheltenham Town in order to sign for Exeter City for the remainder of the 2024/25 season.
Exeter fend off League One rivals
Colwill has taken League Two by storm during the first half of the campaign and became an attractive option for other clubs, but Exeter City are set to win the battle.
Fellow journalist Dan Hargraves has confirmed that fellow League One side Bristol Rovers were keen to sign the midfielder on loan but they’ve been unsuccessful in their attempts.
The 20-year-old contributed to nine league goals in 22 appearances for Cheltenham Town including three goals in his last three matches for the club, including his brace against Crewe Alexandra.
Is this a good move for the player?
During the January transfer window, it is common to see players recalled by Premier League/Championship sides and moved to clubs in a higher division, but this comes with significant risks.
If the player (like Colwill), has been in good form, moving clubs can derail their respective campaigns and cause their goals to dry up – which is a risk in this scenario.
Alternatively, the move into a higher division could allow Colwill to continue proving that he’s more than capable of performing to his best abilities in the EFL, and it could set up a way for him to become a starter/regular option for Cardiff City next season.
Exeter are a club known for developing young talent, whether that’s members of their own academy like Archie Collins or Ollie Watkins, or young loanees like Jay Stansfield and Luke Harris.
Although this move by Cardiff will come as a major blow to Cheltenham Town’s season in League Two – it’s a move that could have many benefits for the player, Cardiff and his new club moving forward.