Exclusive: Huddersfield Town in talks to sign ex-Stoke City star | OneFootball

Huddersfield Town are in talks to sign former Stoke City and Sunderland defender Lynden Gooch, FLW understands.

Huddersfield Town are in talks to sign former Stoke City and Sunderland defender Lynden Gooch, Football League World has exclusively been informed.

The Terriers have made a very active start to their summer of recruitment, which has quickly enabled fans to put the disappointment of last season behind them, and have many looking forward to what is hoped will be a promotion-winning 25/26 campaign.

No less than eight new players have arrived at the John Smith's Stadium already this summer, with the likes of Ryan Ledson, Sean Roughan, Owen Goodman and Jack Whatmough all being eye-catching additions.

Huddersfield Town in talks to sign Lynden Gooch

Terriers boss Lee Grant could be about to get his latest new signing through the door too.

That's because Football League World has exclusively been informed that Huddersfield Town are in talks to sign former Stoke City and Sunderland defender, Lynden Gooch.

The 29-year-old became a free agent at the end of June after he was among a host of Potters players released upon the expiration of their respective contracts.

Gooch joined Stoke in the summer of 2023, and went on to make over 50 appearances for the club over the last two seasons, scoring twice and providing a further two assists.

Prior to making the move to the Potteries, the former USA international spent the best part of a decade playing a key role in Sunderland's first-team, having emerged from their academy system.

He racked up over 240 appearances for the Black Cats, representing the club at Premier League, Championship and League One level during his time at The Stadium of Light.

The versatile defender was a key part of Sunderland's League One promotion-winning squad of 21/22, which saw them defeat Wycombe Wanderers in the play-off final that year - a match in which he played the full 90 minutes.

Gooch could be an excellent signing for Huddersfield Town

Free agent signings come with the territory of being low-risk, high-reward deals on most occasions, and this one certainly has that feel to it as well.

Gooch is a vastly experienced EFL campaigner, and crucially as far as Huddersfield Town are concerned, he's made the most appearances of his career in League One than any other division - 155.

The California-born defender is a real Swiss Army Knife-type player too, capable of playing as a full-back, wing-back or as a winger down either flank.

Having those types of players in your dressing room and available to you as a manager is always vital, especially in the marathon that is a grueling EFL season where fatigue, injuries and suspensions take their toll over the course of 46 league games.

At 29, and not turning 30 until late December, Gooch is still in the prime of his career, and having made 49 appearances in the Championship for Stoke City over the last two seasons, he could be a real shrewd capture for a League One side with promotion aspirations.

Not only could he instantly become a very classy player in the third tier, but he's proven that should Huddersfield win promotion back to the second tier, he can be a player that Grant could entrust to take with him to that level.

Therefore, this could be yet another piece of excellent business made by the Terriers, in what is looking like a very impressive summer of recruitment already.