9-goal Huddersfield Town man could depart in January: Norwich, Bristol City & Birmingham need to be on alert | OneFootball

The Terriers could be set to lose their Chelsea loan ace in the upcoming window

Huddersfield Town could be dealt a crushing blow in their aims of achieving promotion from League One in the upcoming transfer window, as Chelsea ace, Leo Castledine, has become the subject of recall talk.

It was recently reported by Dan Marsh of the Mirror that the Blues could cut his loan stint at the Accu Stadium short, having arguably been the best-performing acquisition from Lee Grant's maiden transfer window in West Yorkshire after being handed a first full-time managerial role by Town's American owner, Kevin Nagle.

The 20-year-old is now in the thick of his second loan stint away from Stamford Bridge, having scored just twice in 26 appearances for Shrewsbury Town between August 2024 and May 2025 as the Shropshire outfit endured a dismal campaign which saw them relegated to League Two at the end of the season.

Despite his struggles in terms of output at Croud Meadow, Castledine's switch to Huddersfield in the summer was met with an overall feeling of excitement, especially with many outsiders and pundits tipping the Terriers to mount a sustained promotion charge after a summer transfer window in which Nagle heavily backed Grant in terms of player turnover and the sums of cash parted with in order to secure some of the club's star names.

And, whilst they are yet to fully stamp their authority on the promotion or play-off race heading into the New Year, Castledine has not been affected by such inconsistency - already making it into double-figures when combining his goals and assist tallies, with nine goals in all competitions.

As such, it perhaps isn't a surprise that clubs higher up the pyramid are courting his services, and that could also potentially be on a permanent basis rather than a straight loan.

Football League World have, as a result, identified THREE Championship sides who should be on red alert regarding this situation.

Norwich City

It has been an unexpected, yet dire first half of the campaign for those of a Norwich City persuasion, although Canaries supporters have been offered a renewed sense of hope under the newly-appointed Philippe Clement.

The Belgian was appointed in place of Liam Manning and is now gearing up for his maiden transfer window at Carrow Road - one which could hugely impact the club's short-term fortunes in the relegation dogfight.

And, whilst plenty of eyes will be cast on the potential retention of Josh Sargent, the aforementioned revelations should see Castledine emerge as a potential target for the Norfolk side.

It has been particularly evident through Clement's team selections that City are particularly light when it comes to those who naturally suit featuring in a 'number 10' role within his preferred 4-2-3-1 setup, with Jacob Wright a prominent fixture in said position despite being known as a more defensive-minded or box-to-box type of midfielder.

Emiliano Marcondes does provide a solution to an extent, as well as previous second tier experience. However, injuries and fitness issues have plagued the Dane's start to the season, which is exactly where Castledine's services would come in handy, as he has showcased his ceiling is far beyond League One.

Even more so, his versatility could also see him slot into an array of roles should injuries arise in the coming weeks and months.

Bristol City

Bristol City are looking to achieve back-to-back play-off finishes, and it is a testament to Gerhard Struber, who was appointed in June, that the Robins are firmly in the hunt to do so amid a significant injury crisis at Ashton Gate.

Several midfield players and forwards have all spent time on the sidelines in BS3 in recent weeks, and that list now includes Joe Williams and Max Bird at the heart of midfield.

Sam Morsy is set to join the club in January having agreed an initial six-month deal, but Castledine has shown on occasions that he can slot into a deeper midfield role if required.

Even more so, question marks remain over the future of Robins ace, Anis Mehmeti, who has continued to be at the forefront of the side's attacking output under the Austrian having scored 12 times last season too.

As such, Castledine could be viewed as a strong short-term replacement on loan, or City could look to secure a permanent deal, with there being approximately 18 months left on his Chelsea contract next month.

Birmingham City

With clubs only permitted to have five loan players in a matchday squad, a potential move to Birmingham City for the Kingston-Upon-Thames native could hinge on potential recalls from St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park as Chris Davies looks to reshuffle his squad.

However, there has been strong talk regarding the immediate future of Lewis Koumas, who has struggled to source regular starts for Blues since arriving from Liverpool in August.

A recall by the Merseyside club could then see Castledine arrive in B9 in place of the Welsh international, as he looks to prove himself at Championship level for the first time.

The England youth international would offer Blues plenty of creative spark, energy and versatility, as he is also capable of featuring out wide, with question marks also raised over the recent performance levels of those who have replaced the likes of Demarai Gray and Patrick Roberts as substitute options late in games.