Championship side Huddersfield Town have had a second bid rejected for Halifax Town centre-back Jesse Debrah, according to an update from Alan Nixon.
The Terriers have been targeting the non-league defender for the entire summer – but were handed an initial blow when Halifax triggered a one-year extension deal in his contract during the early stages of last month to potentially keep him in the fifth tier for another campaign.
This hasn’t deterred the second-tier side though, who have continued to pursue the 22-year-old despite this contract extension and a major change in the managerial department with Carlos Corberan leaving his position.
Quiz: Can you remember the score the last time Huddersfield Town played at these 26 stadiums?
The West Yorkshire outfit have enjoyed great success with Sorba Thomas over the past 12 months, with the Wales international joining from Boreham Wood in January 2021 and becoming an integral asset for the Terriers during the 2021/22 campaign.
With the 23-year-old playing a big part in guiding them to the play-off final, they have decided to take a chance on another non-league player in Kyle Hudlin, who was a key figure for Solihull Moors last term but has since joined up with Huddersfield’s B team.
Debrah could potentially follow a similar path but they are currently finding it difficult to negotiate a deal with Halifax, who are standing firm as they look to retain one of their best players.
The defender, however, is keen on a move to the second tier.
The Verdict:
It doesn’t seem as though he will be one of the first names on the teamsheet if he did arrive considering the jump he would have to make, so this isn’t exactly the biggest blow in the world, certainly not in the short term anyway.
However, at 22, he could be a great asset for the future with the likes of Marvin Ekpiteta managing to climb up from non-league and become one of Blackpool’s most important players.
The fact they have a B team would give him an environment to thrive in and if he can negotiate a multi-year deal, this is certainly a step Debrah should be looking to make.
He may not be a first-team regular straight away – but he has the time and the facilities to grow into a much better player if he did manage to secure this move and this possible switch could end up being life-changing for him.
But you can’t help but admire Halifax for their refusal to roll over, so there may be a considerable amount of work to be done if the Terriers remain interested in sealing a deal for his services.
