Bradford City manager Graham Alexander made a suggestion that he might bring striker Jake Young back to Valley Parade in January, which will worry Swindon Town.
The 22-year-old has been in incredible form since joining the Wiltshire team on a season-long loan in the summer. The striker leads League Two in goals scored with 16 in 19 games, and his play has propelled the Robins to the verge of the playoffs.
In sharp contrast, Bradford’s season has been a complete bust, leading to manager Mark Hughes’ dismissal in October. Their month-long search for a new manager came to an end at the start of the previous month when Graham Alexander, the former manager of MK Dons, was appointed interim manager until the conclusion of the 2025–26 campaign.
The Bantams have won their last three games across all competitions under the 52-year-old’s direction after a slow start. However, they will need to address their lack of firepower if they hope to duplicate last season’s accomplishments, where they secured a play-off spot with a sixth-place finish.
Alexander, who has hinted that Young might rejoin the team in the New Year, is aware of the irony of having the league’s top goalscorer on their roster. The gaffer addressed the situation and acknowledged that it is a possibility to investigate. He stated via Telegraph & Argus;
“This is how the game is played. Players may excel at one club while struggling at another for a variety of reasons.
It occurs frequently. It could b
e the way you play, how you form, or how you interact with other players.
“I know it can be annoying, but there will always be good players who don’t get to play regularly because you can only play 11 at a time.
“We find it encouraging when our players perform well and display their abilities on the pitch.
“It’s good that we have options to add them to our squad and bring them back if necessary.”
Young left Forest Green Rovers to join Bradford in 2022, but before moving on loan to Barrow in January of this year, he only made 12 appearances across all competitions. He failed to find the back of the net in 17 games for the Cumbrian team, showing a lack of impact. But at Swindon, he’s settled into a groove and has scored in his last six games.
This presents Graham Alexander with a significant dilemma. Bradford needs goals badly, and Young’s performance against their League Two rivals appears to be the answer. But do they allow the assailant to stay at the County Ground for the rest of the campaign so he can continue to grow, or do they possibly risk ruining his form by bringing him back?
In all honesty, it seems obvious, and he might be a new signing. He might be the one to propel the Bantams into the upper echelons of the table, even though they are currently five points out of the play-off spots.
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