Ipswich Town evidence can convince Huddersfield Town supporters of latest Michael Duff call: View | OneFootball

The Terriers have added a free agent striker to their ranks

In the end, the 2024 summer proved to be a relatively quiet one from a Huddersfield Town perspective.

Despite their relegation from the Championship last season, and the appointment of Michael Duff as their new manager in place of Andre Breitenreiter, there was no major influx of new signings.

By the time the window closed on the 30th August, the Terriers had made just seven additions to their first-team squad, a lower number than most other clubs in the Football League.

However, there was, of course, still the option for Huddersfield to strengthen their squad through the free agent market, something they would indeed do earlier this week.

Huddersfield sign free agent Ladapo

On Tuesday, Duff's side completed the signing of Freddie Ladapo, with the centre-forward joining on a free transfer.

The 31-year-old had been without a club following his departure from Ipswich Town at the end of last season, with his contract at Portman Road having expired this summer.

He is, though, now back in the game after confirming his move to Huddersfield on a two-year contract, that secures his future at The John Smith's Stadium until the end of the 2025/26 season.

The Terriers will be hoping that Ladapo will be able to aid their push for promotion back to the Championship from League One this season.

Duff's side currently sit seventh in the third-tier standings, with nine points from their four league matches so far.

There may, though, be some concerns about whether Ladapo can do that, after he scored just once in 14 games while on loan at this level with Charlton Athletic in the second-half of last season.

However, other recent evidence from the striker's time with Ipswich, may offer more cause for optimism when it comes to this signing, for those of a Huddersfield persuasion.

Freddie Ladapo can score in League One for Huddersfield

While it was a lack of game time in the Championship for the Tractor Boys in the first-half of last season may have prompted his loan move away, Ladapo did previously succeed at Portman Road.

Having joined the club in the summer of 2022, the striker enjoyed an excellent debut campaign for Ipswich during the 2022/23 season.

He scored over 20 goals in all competitions across the course of the campaign, and featured in every league game the club played, as they won promotion from League One to the Championship.

Ladapo's league exploits alone included 17 goals, which earned Ipswich a vital eight points, in a campaign in which they finished just two points clear of the play-offs places.

Of course, that is not the only time that the striker has made an impact in front of goal in League One either.

Prior to moving to Ipswich, he had spent three seasons with Rotherham United, two of which were played in League One.

Across those two specific campaigns, Ladapo scored 25 goals in 62 league games, to twice help the Millers gain promotion to the Championship.

Even before that, the striker had scored 18 goals in 45 League One appearances for Plymouth Argyle during the 2018-19 season, despite the Pilgrims being relegated that year.

As a result, it seems evident that Ladapo does indeed know how to get goals at this level, and is capable of doing so in a variety of environments.

That ought to give Huddersfield fans some optimism that if Duff can get the most out of him, the striker can be a major asset in getting the club back to the Championship this season.

Indeed, the fact he already has several promotions at this level on his CV, should be another reason for optimism at the John Smith's Stadium when it comes to this particular signing.