Huddersfield Town told to seal Leyton Orient deal before September 1st deadline | OneFootball

Huddersfield fan Graeme Rayner has told FLW he would like to see the club make a move for Leyton Orient's Ollie O'Neill in the summer transfer window.

Huddersfield Town have been told to pursue Leyton Orient’s Ollie O’Neill to solve what has been a problem position down their left flank.

The Terriers are gearing up for a third consecutive year in League One, with the side having underachieved in recent years when you look at the level of investment that has gone into the squad under owner Kevin Nagle.

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However, the US businessman will acknowledge he has made mistakes when it comes to his managerial appointments in the past, and Martin Drury is the latest man in the dugout.

So, there is a sense of intrigue as to how the Yorkshire outfit will do under Drury’s leadership, but promotion back to the Championship will be the aim.

Huddersfield Town urged to sign Leyton Orient left winger Ollie O’Neill

Therefore, the final few weeks of the transfer window will be crucial for Huddersfield, although, pleasingly for Drury, his squad is looking in decent shape ahead of the deadline, so a major overhaul won’t be required.

Nevertheless, the Terriers will be active in the market, and when FLW asked Huddersfield fan pundit Graeme Rayner which one player he hopes the club can sign this month, he outlined Orient’s O’Neill as exactly what they need.

“We need a left winger. The only left-sided attacker we have is Cameron Ashia, and I believe he is out of contract in 12 months, and he hasn’t been involved in pre-season, although the official line is that he is injured. But, it seems like he wants to leave the club, that’s the rumour, and he wasn’t actually a regular first-team starter anyway.

“The only other player who can play there is Bali Mumba, but he was signed to play deeper, and we know from last season with Ruben Roosken that trying to convert someone doesn’t always work.

“So, we need a winger, and I’ve tried to think of someone who would be affordable and realistic, and one of the best wingers in League One last year was Ollie O’Neill at Leyton Orient.

“He’s still young, he scores goals, he gets assists, and he seems to play a decent number of minutes. He doesn’t seem to have injury issues, and he suits our profile because he is versatile, and he can play anywhere across the attacking midfield, as a 10 or wide right.

“I think O’Neill would cost around £1m, which we can probably afford, particularly if we move players on.

“He has been at Orient a couple of seasons, so he is someone we could get. A viable option, quite exciting, fits our model of someone we could sell-on if he does well, and he wouldn’t break the bank.

“So, O’Neill is a name that hasn’t been linked, and he probably isn’t going to come, but why not have a look at him!?”

Ollie O’Neill would be a sensible signing for Huddersfield

As outlined above, there is a lot of talent in the Huddersfield squad for League One, but they do require additions if they are to push for a top two finish, which has to be the aim, even when you look at some of the clubs they will be competing against.

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Most would agree that a left winger should be a priority, and bringing in a player like O’Neill would make a lot of sense for numerous reasons.

Firstly, he has already shown he can thrive in the third tier, so that should help him adapt quickly, and he has a decent goals and assists return for the O’s, especially when you consider how poor they were last season.

Furthermore, as explained, O’Neill is the right profile in the sense that he has plenty of room to develop, and he could be sold on for a profit further down the line.

In modern football, it’s crucial that all EFL clubs operate in this manner, and Huddersfield must look at potential sell-on value when it comes to recruitment.

So, it will be interesting to see how the window plays out for Huddersfield, and if they can land a player like O’Neill, it would be a great boost for Drury as he looks to take the club back to the Championship.