Huddersfield Town should be 'reluctant' to green-light Sunderland transfer | OneFootball

League One club Huddersfield Town are planning to sign Matt Young on loan from Premier League outfit Sunderland

Huddersfield Town are plotting a successful summer transfer window amid their desire to win promotion back to the Championship.

The Terriers have stagnated in League One in recent seasons, failing to land a play-off spot since being relegated from the second tier in 2024.

Huddersfield endured managerial instability last term, as Lee Grant was sacked back in January, and his successor, Liam Manning, left after being granted compassionate leave.

The West Yorkshire outfit subsequently appointed Martin Drury, who ended the season in caretaker charge following Manning's aforementioned exit.

Huddersfield Town questioned over deal for Sunderland goalkeeper

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Huddersfield have already been busy in the summer transfer market, as striker Ashley Fletcher moved to the Accu Stadium from League One rivals Blackpool.

Following Fletcher's arrival, fellow forward Alfie May has left the Terriers to join his former club Doncaster Rovers on loan for the duration of next season.

Meanwhile, Huddersfield are closing in on a deal to sign goalkeeper Matt Young on loan from Sunderland, amid rival interest from Sheffield Wednesday and Leicester City.

The 19-year-old spent last season on loan with Salford City, helping the Ammies reach the League Two play-off final by maintaining 15 clean sheets in 44 fourth-tier appearances.

Football League World asked our Terriers fan pundit, Graeme Rayner, what his thoughts on the move were.

Rayner told FLW: "If we're looking to bring in a young loan goalkeeper, I'm not sure about that approach. There are rumours that Lee Nicholls might be on his way.

"He was our number one for the second half of last season after Owen Goodman left, his loan being terminated early. I'm not sure about loaning in and effectively developing other teams' young goalkeepers.

"I have less of a problem with it in outfield positions, because I think that (in) those positions you can partner them up with a teammate. A centre-back will have a wiser, older head next to him.

"Goalkeeper is a really tough position. Yes, he did well at Salford on loan last year, but then our own goalkeeper, Jacob Chapman, did well on loan in League Two as well.

"It's a tricky one. I would rather see us go out and recruit a permanent goalkeeper than a loan one. I think we saw last season that it is potentially problematic for a young, inexperienced goalkeeper to come into a club that are expecting or hoping to be at the top end of the table.

"Any mistakes as a goalkeeper get magnified hugely, and the learning curve is exceptionally steep. Can managers who are looking for promotion or challenging afford to let those players make mistakes and learn from them on the pitch?

"It's a really tricky one. None of this is about the quality of the keeper. He may well be an excellent young keeper and go on to have a fantastic career.

"But I would be, personally, reluctant to do that if there was a permanent option that was available instead. We'll see what happens."

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Rayner's reservations regarding Huddersfield signing a young goalkeeper on loan are understandable, especially as the Terriers are vying to win promotion back to the Championship.

However, Young is a talented starlet who was one of Salford's standout performers while on loan with the Greater Manchester outfit during both of the last two seasons.

The fact that Sunderland still want to loan out the 19-year-old, rather than sell him, proves how highly rated he is at the Stadium of Light.

Young has proven his worth in League Two in both of the last two seasons, and moving to a League One club is the next logical step in his career, while Huddersfield can reap the benefits of helping his development.