Exclusive: Luton Town and Bradford City plotting transfer raid for 'phenomenal' forward | OneFootball

Luton Town and Bradford City are among a number of League One clubs eyeing a move for Burton Albion's Jake Beesley, Football League World has learned

League One promotion-chasing pair Luton Town and Bradford City both remain firmly in the market for additional firepower ahead of the ever-approaching February 2 transfer deadline and are poised to battle it out for a frontman recently described as 'phenomenal', Football League World can exclusively reveal.

The Hatters have endured an inconsistent campaign in English football's third-tier for the first time in six years after suffering successive relegations out of the Premier League and then the Championship, with Matt Bloomfield promptly receiving his marching orders following a mixed start to the season.

Luton have continued to struggle for consistency under Jack Wilshere, too, with the Kenilworth Road outfit currently positioned six points shy of sixth-placed Huddersfield in ninth - albeit with a game in hand - having lost three of their last five outings.

Bradford, meanwhile, are also enduring a slump following a blistering opening half of the campaign, and the feel-good factor has just shifted at Valley Parade amid three successive defeats to promotion rivals in Cardiff City, Huddersfield and Lincoln City.

With Bradford's automatic promotion ambitions receiving a seismic blow while Luton continually fail to force their way into the top-six, both sides are eyeing a big transfer raid in the final week of the mid-season transfer window.

Luton Town and Bradford City plotting transfer for Burton Albion star Jake Beesley

Luton and Bradford have each identified the top-end of the pitch as a problem area with a need for improvement before the window slams shut until the summer, with a brand-new striker firmly on the agenda for Wilshere and Graham Alexander.

Now, Football League World can exclusively reveal that the latest target for the two clubs is Burton Albion talisman Jake Beesley, who has enjoyed inspired goalscoring form for the relegation-threatened Staffordshire side throughout the current campaign.

FLW has learned that Bradford and Luton are both eyeing a move for Beesley in the coming days. However, a deal may not prove easy, as it's understood that a number of unnamed League One rivals hold similar admiration and could gazump any potential swoop for the 29-year-old.

This comes after Sky Sports reported Luton's enquiry for Port Vale striker Devante Cole yesterday morning, with FLW subsequently revealing interest from Bradford, alongside the likes of Bolton Wanderers, Huddersfield Town and Wycombe, in the ex-West Bromwich Albion man.

The two top-six hopefuls are not looking to be caught short, though, with Beesley now emerging on their respective radars heading into the dying embers of the window.

Jake Beesley's Burton Albion form amid Luton Town, Bradford City transfer interest

Beesley has received no shortage of interest after hitting the ground running at Burton following his summer switch from third-tier rivals Blackpool.

The former Rochdale and Solihull Moors frontman endured a mixed three-and-a-half year stay with the Tangerines but has made a real impact since returning to the Midlands, having registered nine goals and four assists from 26 league appearances at the time of writing.

Beesley has been influential at the Pirelli Stadium, which even led manager Gary Bowyer to describe the imposing striker as a 'phenomenal human being' after his winner against ex-side Blackpool back in November.

Burton's lowly position of 20th - only above 21st-placed Doncaster Rovers by virtue of goal difference - means that they won't be looking to part ways on the cheap, with Beesley's goals capable of keeping the Brewers afloat.

He's under contract until the end of next season, too, while Burton also hold an optional one-year extension clause, though Bradford and Luton could well look to test the Brewers' resolve imminently.