League Two side Bradford City are set to secure the signing of Championship striker Michael Mellon from Burnley this transfer window after fending off competition.
The race for the young forward has been hotting up since the opening of the winter window, with Bradford City joined by League Two rival Chesterfield as well as leaders Walsall.
However, according to a report by Football League World, the Bantams have come out on top and are set to bring him to Valley parade.
Mellon has been on loan at League One promotion hopefuls Stockport County but has failed to make an impact after joining in the summer on a season long loan deal.
Stockport County Nightmare
There had been high hopes for Mellon after joining Stockport County in the summer, after they secure promotion to League One. However, to date he has only played two league games, both late second half substitutions.
However, notably he did play in the second round of the EFL trophy against suitors Bradford City, which will have given manager Graham Alexander an opportunity to see the centre-forward in the flesh.
Bradford City’s New Striker After Injury Blow
Bradford City are dealing with the blow after star striker Andy Cook was confirmed to be injured for a period of time. He has been a key element in Alexander’s front line, contributing 12 goals in 22 League Two games this season.
The Bantams boss has already indicated that the team will need to spread the goals around to deal with his absence, but the addition of Mellon could help shoulder some of that burden.
Speaking to the Telegraph and Argus, Alexander stated:
“What Andy Cook has done for us and this club has been magnificent. But I’d hate the thought of being reliant on any one individual, regardless of who they are or where they play.
“What I love about football is that it’s a team sport. It’s teams that win games because there are a lot of other aspects.
“We’ve been trying hard to create a squad that has other goal outlets.
“We want Cooky back and we’ll miss him if he is going to be out. But to be successful you have to be a better team and better squad than one individual.
“Fingers crossed, we have Cooky available for us but, if not, hopefully that’s a sign of encouragement for everyone to keep competing.”
With the absence of Cook, Mellon will be given the opportunity to show what he can do in League Two. However, it may take some time to get back up to speed with the lack of football since moving to Edgeley Park.