"A direct replacement" - Huddersfield Town summer prediction made involving Danny Batth and Tom Lees | OneFootball

'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Huddersfield Town will be hoping to right the wrongs of last season and bounce back to the Championship. Our FLW Fan Pundit has forecast three things he sees happening at the John Smith's Stadium over the next couple of months.

The Terriers have a fresh start under new boss Michael Duff, after former boss Andre Breitenreiter left by mutual consent at the end of last season following the club's relegation.

Their arrival in the third tier will mean adjustments to the squad will be required, as they likely seek to trim the wage budget and rearm themselves for the new fight back to the Championship.

Huddersfield Town predicted to sign Danny Batth as Tom Lees replacement

FLW's Huddersfield Town fan pundit Graeme Rayner believes that Tom Lees' injury could spell the end of his Terriers career, and he thinks the club already have their replacement lined up.

Graeme said: “Two things that will happen at Huddersfield this season? Player coming in: I’ve heard Danny Batth, who I think's been released by Norwich. I’ve heard that that’s pretty much happening. He's a decent centre-half.

“I suspect that Batth has been brought in as a direct replacement for Tom Lees, who got an injury towards the end of last season, and it sounds like that was a pretty serious injury."

Graeme doesn't believe that will be the end of the departures from Huddersfield, as the club looks to reduce the wage bill and players search for the level they're most suited to.

He continued: “Other players going out? Most likely to leave, I would say, would be Michal Helik, because he’s our best player. He’s our biggest asset and I couldn’t think of a Championship side, perhaps short of those who faced relegation, who wouldn’t fancy him as a player for them.

“So yeah, they’d be my predictions. Danny Batth coming in, Michal Helik going out and Tom Lees perhaps to be forced to stop playing, sadly.”

Danny Batth signing would make sense for Huddersfield Town

Confirmed reports linking Danny Batth with a move from Norwich City to the John Smith's Stadium are yet to emerge, but the Terriers exploring such a deal would make sense.

If, as Graeme predicts, Tom Lees has played his last game for Huddersfield, then the arrival of Batth would be timely.

The 33-year-old has 316 Championship and 126 League One games under his belt, so would inject the experience back into the side that may be lost through Lees. That may be even more necessary if, as Graeme suggests, Michal Hellik also leaves the defensive unit.

Signing a centre-back heading towards the later stages of his career may not go down as the most inspiring deal at some clubs, and some Terriers' fans could feel the same, but a player like Batth may be just the answer for a team in Huddersfield's current predicament.

Duff's side do not want to be in League One, having tasted Premier League football in recent years, so their aim will be to regain their Championship status at the first time of asking.

Relegations rock clubs, so for the Terriers to meet their aims, quick fixes could be the way forward. Rather than investing in players for the long term and waiting for them to develop, it may be smart for Huddersfield to recruit a man like Batth who can come in and make an instant impact and could also be useful to bridge the transition back into the second tier if they're successful.

It's going to be an important summer for Huddersfield and, as Graeme predicts, some headline business could be just around the corner. Executed correctly, the Terriers could soon be putting last season's difficulties behind them.