3 Leo Castledine replacements Huddersfield Town must consider ASAP | OneFootball

Huddersfield Town can bolster their chances of winning promotion to the Championship by signing a direct Leo Castledine replacement

Huddersfield Town could utilise the January transfer window to sign a direct replacement for Leo Castledine.

Castledine was recalled from his loan spell by Chelsea and sold to Middlesbrough, having notched 12 goals and three assists in 27 appearances across all competitions for the Terriers.

Meanwhile, the League One outfit remain in the play-off places despite losing 1-0 to Stockport County on Saturday, thanks to Benony Andresson's late strike.

Castledine is now tasked with helping Middlesbrough in their battle for an automatic promotion spot in the Championship, and could make his debut for Boro against West Brom this Friday.

Contrastingly, Huddersfield could lose momentum in their hunt for a League One play-off spot, now that this term's top scorer departed West Yorkshire in favour of a permanent move to the North East.

Terriers boss Lee Grant has revealed his club will sign a Castledine replacement if the opportunity arises, although he also admitted that it could be difficult.

Football League World takes a look at three players who could fill the void the 20-year-old has left at the Accu Stadium, should Grant's men move for a replacement in the market.

Huddersfield are missing creativity now that Castledine has joined Middlesbrough, and that gap could be plugged by Doncaster Rovers ace Owen Bailey.

The 26-year-old produced a respectable return of five goals and five assists when Grant McCann's side won promotion from League Two last season.

Since plying his trade in League One for Doncaster, though, Bailey has hit new heights, notching 10 goals and four assists in 30 appearances across all competitions.

Despite the midfielder's strong form, McCann's men sit 23rd in the third tier and are struggling against the prospect of an unwanted return to League Two.

Therefore, Huddersfield could take advantage of Doncaster's relegation troubles and acquire Bailey, who could perform similar exploits in West Yorkshire to those of Castledine.

Furthermore, the former Newcastle United man could perform better in a Terriers side who boast dangerous attackers such as Bojan Radulovic.

Castledine's successful loan stint with the Terriers outlined the merits of acquiring young talent from Premier League clubs.

With that in mind, Grant's men must consider a similar deal for Tottenham starlet Williams-Barnett, who has made just one senior appearance for the North Londoners.

The 17-year-old was an unused substitute when Spurs were beaten in the FA Cup by Aston Villa on Saturday, showing how highly rated he is by Thomas Frank.

However, the teenager clearly needs game time in senior football to boost his development, which is a commodity that Huddersfield can afford him.

Williams-Barnett has notched six goals and four assists in seven Premier League 2 outings for Tottenham this term, proving his attacking ability.

1 ? ? Harvey Knibbs

Harvey Knibbs only joined Charlton Athletic from Reading last summer, but Huddersfield may already be able to move for his services, as he has made just four Championship starts for the Addicks.

The attacking midfielder previously excelled in League One for the Royals, scoring 14 goals and making a further six assists in the third tier last season.

Those numbers prove that Knibbs can have a similar impact at Huddersfield to that of Castledine, while his lack of game time should mean that the 26-year-old is keen on a move away from South London.