League One sides Port Vale and Exeter City are reportedly keen on adding Bradford City striker Jake Young to their ranks, following his recall from Swindon Town, according to journalist Alan Nixon.
The striker is attracting interest from the pair as they look to add attacking options to their squads in the January window.
The 22-year-old has enjoyed a prolific season to date, spearheading Michael Flynn’s attack alongside Charlie Austin and Dan Kemp. He scored 16 goals in 26 games for the Robins, prompting Graham Alexander to recall him from his spell away.
The new Bradford boss admitted that the club had no ambition to sell the striker, but should a decent fee arrive from a League One club, it may be difficult to turn down. He is yet to play for the Bantams since his return, meaning he is still free to sign for another club, with the “two club” threshold having not been met. If he does appear in the upcoming fixture against Danny Cowley’s Colchester United, then it would seemingly put an end to the speculation.
Speculation has been rife, since it emerged that the Valley Parade hierarchy had turned down a bid from a League One club that hadn’t met their valuation of the player. Young has led the goal scoring charts for much of the season, until Langstaff moved ahead in the last couple of weeks, and has a contract until 2025 meaning the club can ask for a premium for a player that had been shipped out on loan only six months ago.
Writer’s View
When the player returned I presumed that Alexander would just want to place him straight into the team. I suspect that is still the case, however the added interest and the urgency due to the two club rule could prompt a team to perhaps pay over the agreed valuation to ensure they get him. We will more than likely have an answer by this time next week in what could be a very interesting saga.