Huddersfield Town can land Sorba Thomas 2.0 by winning Rotherham United transfer race | OneFootball

Huddersfield Town could recreate Sorba Thomas signing by beating Rotherham United to Wealdstone man Dylan Kadji.

Huddersfield Town are building for another season in League One in which they will again be expected to challenge for promotion – and they need to be smarter in the summer transfer window.

Following their relegation in 2024, Huddersfield came down and looked as though they would be contenders alongside record-breakingly big-spending Birmingham City for the title.

In fact, up until the turn of the year, Huddersfield were more or less keeping pace with The Blues, and Wycombe Wanderers, at the top end of the table before a collapse in the early part of the year saw the sacking of Michael Duff and a continued collapse into the middle-of-the-table.

Last summer then saw the surprise appointment of Lee Grant, which was a managerial tenure that was again financially backed in the window but lasted just half a season before another collapse saw them become mid-table also-rans.

Owner and chairman Kevin Nagle has taken another punt with the permanent appointment of former ‘acting’ manager Martin Drury, who has previously only ever experienced a full-time managerial role with Bradford Park Avenue.

Drury will again have high expectations placed upon him from the supporters, but he will need help from Sporting Director Chris Markham, formerly of Bolton Wanderers, to get their recruitment right – and a lot better than in recent seasons.

One signing that could well be a stroke of genius is the signing of Dylan Kadji – and it also harks back to another similarly successful move that Huddersfield made in Sorba Thomas.

Dylan Kadji could replicate Sorba Thomas deal for Huddersfield

In the winter window of the 2020/21 campaign, as they hovered just above the bottom three and the relegation places, Huddersfield took a punt on Boreham Wood forward Sorba Thomas.

Thomas had spend a couple of seasons breaking through in North London, establishing himself as one of the most exciting prospects in non-league, a breeding ground for many an attacker to go on and become a star.

Formerly in the West Ham United academy, Thomas didn’t get much game time in his first few months at the John Smith’s Stadium, but he went on to become a star man for them the following campaign as they finished third and reached the play-off final.

Someone who had been picked up from the National League had, within 18 months, proven himself to be a key man for a promotion challenger in the Championship and that type of outside-of-the-box thinking in regard to recruitment could be crucial for Town this summer, and Dylan Kadji could be the man to replicate that success.

Huddersfield must beat Rotherham to the signing of Dylan Kadji

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In recent seasons, Huddersfield have spent relatively big money, be it on wages or transfer fees, on recognisable names such as the likes of Ryan Ledson, Marcus Harness and Alfie May last summer.

Good players for the level, on paper, albeit with no real sell-on value and their ceiling very much known, leading to Huddersfield eventually becoming predictable and stodgy when things began to go wrong.

Thinking differently is required. There is a balance, with Markham, someone who was previously criticised at Bolton for being too risky with signings and trying to be too smart in the hope of uncovering gems.

Huddersfield need some of that, though – and quite desperately, as they seek to freshen up their squad to go with the outside-the-box appointment of Drury.

Like Thomas, Dylan Kadji now has a burgeoning reputation as a result of his performances in non-league, having impressed for Wealdstone as the Stones surprised many to avoid relegation from the National League.

As much as his quality and potential is one thing that should excite Huddersfield supporters and lead to them hoping that they beat Yorkshire rivals Rotherham to his signature, his signing would also represent a shift.

That shift was a different way of thinking and way in which they approach their transfer business and an acknowledgment of a need for something fresh – like Thomas was when they were plateauing in the second-tier was five and a half years ago.