“It’s a big step up” – Exclusive: Sky Sports pundit backs Huddersfield Town over Lincoln City transfer pursuit

“It’s a big step up” – Exclusive: Sky Sports pundit backs Huddersfield Town over Lincoln City transfer pursuit

After being relegated from the Championship, Huddersfield returned to League One this season and

underperformed, finishing 10th in the third division under interim manager Jon Worthington following Michael

Duff’s dismissal in early March.

They were in the play-off picture for most of the season but fell away towards the end, so their whole focus will now

undoubtedly be on appointing a new manager in an attempt to return to the second tier the following season.

Aside from that search, however, the team has made major roster changes in advance of the summer transfer

window. Ten first-team players, including club legend Jonathan Hogg and seasoned center-backs Tom Lees and

Matty Pearson, are scheduled to be released in June when their contracts expire.

Lee Hendrie advises Huddersfield to bring in Paudie O’Connor in addition to seasoned recruits.

Regardless of who takes over as team captain, Town’s summer recruitment agenda is expected to include a number

of new centre-back additions, as both Lees and Pearson are scheduled to leave the John Smith’s Stadium at the end

of next month.

Lincoln club captain O’Connor appears to be one of those, as sources close to Football League World disclosed this

week that both Huddersfield and Yorkshire rivals Barnsley are interested in him. His Imps contract is slated to end

this summer, and no new contract has been negotiated as of yet.

With three goals and four assists in 39 league games, O’Connor was a standout at the core of Michael Skubala’s team

during the 2024–25 season, helping them finish just one spot and three points below the Terriers in the third

division.

According to former professional player and current EFL analyst Lee Hendrie, Huddersfield should try to sign the In

the coming months, an Irishman will be available on a free transfer, but only if they also sign a centre-back with the

same background and skill set as the leaving Lees and Pearson. It is clear that he is needed, and his employment at

Sincil Bank is most likely coming to an end.

“Huddersfield is obviously losing a hell of a lot of players,” Hendrie stated in an exclusive interview with Football

League World. Tom Lees and Matty Pearson, who have been key players for them over the seasons and have

experience, have been released, and they require a total overhaul.

“They must try to acquire players who will help them regain their strength. Paudie O’Connor, who is clearly a centre-

back, is a huge improvement, in my opinion.

“I have no idea how Huddersfield will do the next season. You would think that since they haven’t been promoted

this season, they would be among the teams that need to be up there and make investments to bring in quality.

“The question is whether O’Connor can replace those more seasoned guys. He definitely knows the league, and I

have no doubt that he would love it.

They are considering bringing O’Connor in because, in my opinion, you need the proper blend and he has clearly had

a strong season.

Since he has played in lower leagues at Bradford and, of course, Lincoln, I believe League One is a difficult league,

and given his youth and experience, I’m confident he would be a good fit.

But, unless they decide to go with a younger option, I’m sure he would require more experience to go with him. That

centre-back position is obviously in need of replacements, and I wouldn’t be shocked if (this) occurred.

Huddersfield Town may be hard pushed to secure Paudie O’Connor’s signature amid expected Lincoln City exit

Huddersfield signed Dion Charles and Joe Taylor in the January transfer window in an attempt to secure a spot in

the top six because of their troubles in the previous season, which were primarily attributed to a lack of goal-scoring

threat.

They ultimately finished mid-table and scored the fewest goals of any team to finish in the top half of League One,

demonstrating that their approach was a failure. However, it does imply that their roster is now very well-stocked

with strikers for the upcoming season.

Since Radinio Balker is now the only centre-back with a contract that will be with the team for the upcoming

campaign, they will mostly be concentrating on strengthening their defensive ranks this summer.

Given O’Connor’s skill at the third-tier level and the way he has set an example for Lincoln in recent seasons, signing

him would make sense. However, prior connections and the fact that Barnsley is currently pursuing him indicate

that they won’t be the only team hoping to sign him in the upcoming months.

Football Insider reported last September that the 27-year-old was a target for Championship teams Oxford United,

Preston North End, and Blackburn Rovers, with possible deals being planned ahead of the January transfer window.

To ward off that second-tier interest, the Imps reportedly offered him a new long-term contract shortly after the year

ended, but O’Connor has yet to sign with Sincil Bank, and the season is now over with nothing signed, making an exit

seem inevitable. Nothing came of a move away from the Imps in the winter.

As they try to assemble a new club that can return to the Championship the following season, Huddersfield would

undoubtedly love to sign the Irishman as soon as possible. However, they must move quickly to get him in the

building before a better-ranked EFL team takes him.

Read more news on https://www.sportupdates.co.uk/