Kevin Nagle must be laughing after big Huddersfield Town transfer call | OneFootball

Some eyebrows were raised when Josh Koroma was released by Huddersfield Town last summer, but his return to Leyton Orient hasn't been impactful

Huddersfield Town underwent a thorough player reshuffle last summer. Numerous stars who had played a part in recent seasons were allowed to depart for free to make room for big-name Championship players.

Veteran defenders Matty Pearson and Tom Lees were both let go, alongside club legend JonathAn Hogg and experienced frontman Danny Ward. But, with those four in particular all over the age of 30, there was a clear understanding from the fanbase at their releases.

Josh Koroma, however, raised a few eyebrows when his name was also on the released list alongside those veteran names.

The then-26-year-old was one of the longest-serving players at the club, having joined in 2019 from Leyton Orient after impressing in the Championship. He took some time to get established in the Huddersfield side, but he ended up making 168 appearances at the Accu Stadium.

Additionally, he'd just come off the back of a career-best campaign in front of goal. There was a lot about the 2024/25 term that Terriers fans wanted to forget immediately, but Koroma's 11 goals did not fall into that category.

With the money available to the club under owner Kevin Nagle, he'd easily have been able to offer the Sierra Leone international a good deal, but he departed the West Yorkshire side regardless.

Josh Koroma hasn't lived up to expectations back at Leyton Orient thus far

Koroma instead made a return to Leyton Orient in the summer, seven years on from leaving Brisbane Road as a teenager to sign for Huddersfield.

Evidently, Kevin Nagle and the rest of the higher-ups at the Accu Stadium were banking on his double-digit scoring season being one born out of needing to impress in the final year of his Huddersfield deal to almost sell himself to other clubs.

And, while it's been just a year, it's looking like the decision to let him walk away from the club is proving to be the correct one.

There haven't been many positives surrounding Orient this season, as the 2024/25 play-off finalists struggled to cope with the majority of the players who got them there departing, either returning to their parent clubs at the end of loan spells or being poached by Championship sides.

Koroma was one of 10 permanent arrivals in the summer, and he actually started the season where he left off at Huddersfield, scoring three times in his first five games back in a Leyton Orient shirt, and adding three assists by the seventh game, too.

Unfortunately, those were the only goal involvements he'd register all season in League One, and after starting the first 10 games of the league campaign, the 27-year-old started just six more times from October until the end of the season.

Richie Wellens' side ended up surviving relegation on the final day, despite an eight-game winless run to end the year. The O's boss stated that his players had wasted a year of his career, a damning indictment on his side.

And while there were some saving graces that the infuriated head coach wasn't referring to, such as League One Player of the Season, Dom Ballard, it's hard to suggest that Koroma fell into that category.

Huddersfield Town haven't replaced Josh Koroma just yet, but Kevin Nagle will feel he made the right decision last summer

Granted, while Huddersfield owner Kevin Nagle may feel like the decision not to renew Koroma's contract last summer was the correct one, he hasn't gotten the replacement correct just yet.

There is hope that Bali Mumba, the £1 million January arrival from third-tier rivals Plymouth Argyle, can be the long-term replacement out on the left side of the midfield, but in terms of an attacking threat, the 24-year-old doesn't offer the same as what Koroma did.

Huddersfield are still searching for someone who can provide the goals that the 27-year-old did from wide areas, as they too look to put a largely poor season that underachieved expectations behind them.

While Koroma will be hoping to force himself back into contention at Brisbane Road in 2026/27, those in this corner of West Yorkshire will also have eyes on forcing themselves into the promotion chase next term.

With yet another League One campaign ahead of them, Huddersfield can't really afford to be overly positive, but they'll be able to look back on the decision to let Koroma go as a small win amongst a pile of losses.