Fleetwood Town are reportedly on the verge of further strengthening their squad ahead of the League Two campaign with a deal for Burton Albion midfielder Mark Helm, who has had a productive 18-month spell at the club.
Charlie Adam could not prevent Fleetwood from dropping into the fourth tier for the first time since 2013/14 but has been proactive in this transfer window with six permanent arrivals through the door. The potential signing of Helm, however, would be the club’s most significant signing of the summer window.
Helm Plays a Pivotal Role in Relegation Battle
Mark Helm continued to be a regular under both permanent managers Dino Maamria and Martin Peterson after the former departed in December 2023, and the attack-minded midfield player made 34 league starts for Burton, leading the club’s scoring charts with five goals. Burton narrowly avoided relegation on the final day of the League One season despite losing 3-0 at already relegated Fleetwood Town after Cheltenham Town’s defeat at Stevenage.
Helm added three assists to his five league goals and his contributions were important as he netted winners at Stevenage and Bristol Rovers. He contributed vital goals in results over Charlton Athletic and Bolton Wanderers. He was the main attacking outlet for a side that struggled to score throughout the campaign, with Burton scoring the joint second-lowest total of 39 goals in the third tier.
The former Manchester United academy product ranked among the top five central midfield players under-23 in dribbles and key passes per game. He has proved he can perform at this level since joining from Burnley in January 2023 in search of first-team experience. Helm scored three goals in 19 appearances in the second half of the 2022/23 campaign.
The English midfielder has played a total of 63 games for the club, scoring nine goals and adding another four assists to become a key player for the struggling League One outfit.
Fleetwood Town Looking to Reinforce Squad After Departure of Star Player
According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Fleetwood Town have agreed a deal to sign the talented Mark Helm, who came to the end of his current deal at Burton this summer. If a deal is complete. He would join midfielders Elliot Bonds and Matty Virtue, who have arrived from Cheltenham and Blackpool respectively.
The departure of star winger Promise Omochere in a record-breaking deal to Bristol Rovers is a major loss for Charlie Adam’s side but they have been in the transfer window and Mark Helm would be an excellent addition, who should help to offset some of the attacking threat lost by the departure of Omochere.
Helm has yet to experience football in the fourth tier having built up extensive experience at Premier League 2 level with Burnley and Manchester United before moving to Burton Albion. New manager Charlie Adam is still developing his managerial philosophy but did tend to select five in midfield, sometimes opting for an attacking midfield player. If he opts to play with a number ten he will get the best out of Helm, who has played his best football in this role.
Fleetwood have also secured the signing of defender Zech Medley from KV Oostende. Medley has gained experience in the top two tiers in Belgium and was once on the books of both Arsenal and Chelsea at underage level. However, despite the additions of MacKenzie Hunt and Luke Hewitson from Everton and Liverpool’s underage sides respectively, it does appear that the squad is still a little bit short of competing at the top of the fourth tier. More shrewd additions such as Helm would go a long way to boosting the club’s promotion prospects.